This chapter is about the support partners’ trials as
they endeavour to cope with daily life with a Parkinsonian
partner. The philosophy underpinning the discussion is
phenomenology, which is about being there and experiencing
the journey of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Support
partners grapple with everyday life, not only to support
their partner with PD, and the role they play as carers, but
also their need to maintain their careers to ensure financial stability. Due to the changes in the condition, both mentally and physically, of the person with PD, support partners often feel a stranger has moved into the house. A lack of facial expression, inability to speak, and the risk of falls are common, but despite this they do not seek assistance from Parkinson’s organisations, as they are “waiting until they get worse”. However, without assistance, the frightening aspects of dealing with the stranger are experienced in isolation. Health professionals need to acknowledge that PD is a long-term condition with constant fluctuations in both mental and physical capability, therefore they should always include the support partner in any assessment processes.However, they should also remain mindful of the fact that support partners experience a sense of disloyalty when talking about their partner, or when they are contradicting statements made by the person with partner in their presence