A new tool to adapt the treatment of Parkinson's disease patients in nursing homes.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common condition in nursing home (NH) residents. The primary treatment for Parkinson's disease is levodopa therapy to relieve motor symptoms and maximize physical function. Non-motor symptoms are highly prevalent in NH residents with Parkinson's disease and dramatically decrease quality of life. Choices in drug treatment need to take into account the complex interactions between aging, comorbidity and non-motor symptoms. Optimal management requires expertise and cooperative effort from prescribing neurologists and nursing home health professionals. The objective is to evaluate the pertinence of the CHEF, a new tool to screen daily life clinical data helpful for the management of neurologist consultants. NH nurses were asked to briefly report falls and gait problems, hallucinations, sleep disorders and motor fluctuations. Analysis of the results obtained in 26 patients showed that CHEF was perceived as a helpful complement to existing ressources. The use of this tool has the potential to enhance the quality of NH care of Parkinsonian patients.