According to Parkin's Foundation, Parkinson’s disease (PD) is generally thought of as a disease that only involves movement for Richmond seniors. But in addition to motor symptoms such as slowness of movement, tremor, stiffness and postural instability, most people develop other health problems related to Parkinson's. These symptoms are diverse and collectively known as non-motor symptoms.
While family and friends may not be able to see these symptoms, it is important to realize that non-motor symptoms are common and can be more troublesome and disabling than motor symptoms. For Richmond seniors, some symptoms, such as loss of smell, constipation, depression and REM sleep behavior disorder can occur years before the diagnosis of PD.