Objective: To determine what everyday assistive devices were deemed most useful by people with Parkinson’s disease (PwP) and their caregivers.

Background: Numerous helpful assistive devices exist to make daily activities easier for PwP. Physicians should have increased knowledge of these aids that can assist and improve Quality of Life (QoL).

Method: A survey was developed and distributed online through the Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorder (PMD) Alliance website and online educational events. In total 40 different assistive devices were evaluated using a 5-point frequency scale ranging from “not useful” to “very useful”, with regard to utility in day-to-day activities. Assistive devices were grouped into the following categories: grooming and dressing aids, toileting aids, eating aids, kitchen and household items, and miscellaneous household aids.

Results: In total 293 online surveys were completed. Frequency of responses were converted to percentages. The top 5 assistive devices were determined by the highest percentages of “very useful” (table 1) and the highest percentages of “very useful + somewhat useful” (table 2). Distribution of respondents by years since Parkinson’s diagnosis were as follows: 0-5 yrs (37.2%), 6-10 yrs (29.4%), >10 yrs (33.4%).

Conclusion: While there is a considerable amount of literature discussing the utility of walking aids for PwP, there seems to be limited information on devices designed to assist with other activities of daily living. Gathering PwP perspectives and attitudes towards various assistive devices is beneficial for increasing provider awareness and informing assistive device recommendation practices. The responses to this patient-driven survey provide a better understanding of which assistive devices are considered the most useful for PwP and could be recommended for use in management of movement and related disorders.

Table 1

Table 2

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/what-assistive-devices-do-people-with-parkinsons-disease-find-most-useful/