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In her book, 300 Tips for Making Life Easier, Shelley Peterman Schwarz, writes about living with Parkinson's disease--and simple ideas that make managing the disease an every-day win.

Her book offers universal tips that can be applied to all caregiving situations. Some simple tips to keep in mind:

--Assist your care recipient with dressing when medications are working.

--Keep several sets of clean undergarments in a drawer in the bathroom so you and your care recipient have easy access to them after bathing.

--Underwear made of nylon, rather than cotton, is easier to pull on.

--If he or she spills when eating, dress your care recipient in shirts with multiple colors and patterns. They'll hide the stains.

--If you're dressing your care recipient in layers, such as a turtleneck under a sweater, slip the turtleneck into the sweater before dressing. You'll only have to put the two garments on once.

--If your care recipient is easily upset by change, stick dressing him or her in the same type of clothing, such as sweatpants, a short-sleeved shirt, and a zip-front cardigan.

--Sprinkle cornstarch on your care recipient's feet and heel; it'll make pulling on nylon stockings or socks easier.

--If your care recipient has a drooling problem, have him or her chew gum. It will remind him or her to swallow more often.

--Carry an index card in your wallet with your care recipient's list of medications.

--Keep an extra outfit in the car--just in case.

--If your care recipient has a cough that won't stop, try a spoonful of applesauce. The cold, smooth texture can soothe an irritated throat.

--Compile a personal medical file for your care recipient. The file contains:

Family health history

Past illnesses

Dated summaries of office appointments, tests, treatments, surgical procedures, and hospitalizations.

Prescription log, which contains information about names and dosages of medications (including vitamins and non-prescription drugs) and notes on why, when and how often to take the drugs.

Symptom log, which tracks how your care recipient feels before and after the introduction of a new medication; new symptoms; side effects.

Question and answer log to keep track of questions for your care recipient's physicians and the answers you receive.

--Mornings and right after lunch are often the best times for scheduling a doctor's appointment.

Source: Parkinson's Disease: 300 Tips for Making Life Easier by Shelley Peterman Schwarz, Demos Medical Publishing Inc., New York.

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