Exercise Guidelines for Patients With Parkinson's Disease: An Overview for the Home Health Care Professional

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurological condition with no known cure. This disease progression is characterized by severe motor degeneration that often limits functional mobility during gross motor skills common in activities of daily living, work, and recreation. Exercise programs have been shown to slow symptom onset and lessen the progression of PD, helping to improve quality of life of individuals with this condition. This article provides an overview of recent studies addressing the impact of exercise programs on individuals with PD, and also provides home health care professions with suggestions for exercise program implementation within this clinical population.