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In this week’s newsletter, I share Larry’s perspective on caregiving—a role most of us never applied for, yet so many step into with courage and love. To all caregivers: thank you for walking the walk. Whether you are living with Parkinson’s or supporting someone who is, I hope you take time with this essay and notice what resonates with you and your own Parkinson’s journey. The Care Partner: The Role No One Applies For Parkinson’s disease is often described as an individual diagnosis. One person sits in a neurologist’s office and hears the words: Chronic. Incurable. Progressive. One name is written on the chart. One name on the pillbox label. One body becomes the focus of clinical attention. But Parkinson’s never belongs to just one person. From the moment of diagnosis, a second role is created—usually without discussion, consent, or preparation. The role of care partner. Not a nurse. Not saviour. Not a sidekick. Something far more complex and far more human. I say this not as an observer, but as someone who has lived with Parkinson’s for over a decade. My disease has progressed, adapted, surprised me, and forced me to renegotiate my relationship with my own body. But alongside that journey has been another, quieter one—the evolution of the person who walks beside me. Care partners rarely recognize themselves in the role at first. They are spouses, children, colleagues, and friends. They start by “helping out,” filling in small gaps that appear almost imperceptibly: driving a little more, reminding a little more, and compensating quietly. Over time, those gaps widen. What makes the role so difficult is that it is undefined. There is no training manual for how to help without diminishing. No checklist for when support becomes supervision. There is no clear line between loving assistance and unintended control. From the inside, I can tell you this: the greatest challenge is not the physical care. It is the emotional calibration. Knowing when to step in—and when to step back. Comments are closed.
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AuthorCoach Betsy, Archives
February 2026
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