A non afflicted person can brush his teeth and at the same time wipe up the counter in the bathroom. The Parkinson patient finds that he cannot do this any more. If he reaches with the other hand while the other is brushing his teeth, the hand holding the brush will cease to function. Since he can do only one of these motor acts at a time, they have to be done consecutively, instead of concurrently. It means that in the course of a day he will have to spend a great deal more time doing ordinary tasks.
Extra time is required for most things.
Dressing for example, may take three to five times as long as before, or longer. It is, nevertheless very important to keep muscles in action and that the PD patient do as many of these ordinary chores himself. The happy, contented, satisfied patient is one who is completely independent of the help of others. In order to achieve this he has to be given adequate time. If it took him twenty minutes before the disease to dress and shave, he should allow himself an hour, or more.