Home visiting by nursing students to patients with Parkinson's disease

Thirty ambulatory Parkinson's disease patients diagnosed with Stage I, II, and III illness were visited at home by 15 senior baccalaureate nursing students on a weekly basis for one year. The purpose of the home visit was to assess the patient, implement a regimen of mild exercise, and increase the patient's social network. Twenty-nine patients completed one year of weekly exercise sessions under the supervision of a nursing student. This article includes a demographic description of the sample, an outline of the exercise regimen, a report on the assessment tool that was used to collect the data, and a discussion of the program's educational value for the students. Peripheral activities such as organization of the support group and education of caregivers are discussed. Requirements of the study are explained. Analysis of the collected data is under way. An empirical report is forthcoming this year.