LIFE-H AS A TOOL FOR ASSESSING DAILY FUNCTIONING AND SOCIAL PARTICIPATION IN PARKINSON'S DISEASE: POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE
LIFE-H AS A TOOL FOR ASSESSING DAILY FUNCTIONING AND SOCIAL PARTICIPATION IN PARKINSON'S DISEASE: POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

Summary/Abstract: Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that substantially impairs everyday functioning and social participation, leading to reduced autonomy, increased care dependency, and diminished quality of life. Contemporary nursing care has increasingly adopted a biopsychosocial perspective that extends beyond symptom management to include the assessment of functioning, participation, and patient centred outcomes. Despite the widespread use of clinical rating scales for evaluating disease severity and motor impairment, fewer assessment instruments comprehensively address participation in everyday life and its implications for nursing care. The aim of this review was to examine everyday functioning and social participation in people with Parkinson’s disease from a nursing perspective and to highlight the role of standardized assessment instruments in supporting individualized nursing interventions. A descriptive and analytical review of the contemporary scientific literature was conducted, focusing on the clinical manifestations of Parkinson’s disease, their impact on daily functioning and social participation, the role of nursing care, and the application of standardized assessment instruments, including participation oriented measures. Current evidence indicates that both motor and non motor symptoms substantially compromise activities of daily living, restrict social participation, and negatively affect quality of life. Nurses play a central role in identifying functional limitations, promoting autonomy, supporting participation in meaningful life situations, and coordinating individualized care. Participation oriented assessment instruments provide a structured framework for evaluating patients’ functioning within their social environment and complement traditional symptom based measures. Among these instruments, the Life Habits Assessment (LIFE H) questionnaire is conceptually consistent with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) and demonstrates considerable potential for assessing participation and life habits in people with chronic conditions. Although its application in Parkinson’s disease remains insufficiently explored, LIFE H may enhance comprehensive nursing assessment and facilitate patient centred care planning. Integrating standardized assessment of functioning and social participation into nursing practice may contribute to more individualized interventions, improved quality of care, and future development of evidence based nursing practice in Parkinson’s disease

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