
Living with Parkinson's - Practical Resources
For Patients and Caregivers
This Patient Library contains practical, non-commercial educational resources designed to support safety, communication, and daily living for people with Parkinson's disease and their caregivers. Materials are intended for personal use and may be shared by healthcare providers. These resources are designed to complement medical care, not replace guidance from your healthcare team.
Clear explanations of the most important aspects of Parkinson’s disease.
Understand medication timing, side effects, and when symptoms need attention.
Quick, printable guides for common Parkinson's symptoms and daily Challenges.
Practical Symptom Guides
Planning & Daily Tools
Quick Access Tools
Use in emergency situations to quickly communicate Parkinson's needs to medical staff.
Track your Symptoms
Tools that help you understand what your body is doing—and explain it to your doctor.
Parkinson’s symptoms don’t stay the same all day.
They change hour to hour, day to day, and medication to medication.Most people don’t realize how much is happening until they start tracking it.
Tracking helps you:
• See patterns (like OFF times, sleep issues, anxiety spikes)
• Understand how medication timing affects you
• Show your neurologist what’s actually happening between visitsYou don’t have to track perfectly.
You just need to track consistently enough to see patterns.
APDA Symptom Tracker
Simple, free, and designed specifically for Parkinson’s.
• Track symptoms, medications, and daily notes
• Create reports you can bring to appointments
• Easy to use if you don’t want something complicated
StrivePD
More advanced tracking with optional smartwatch integration.
• Tracks medication timing and symptom changes
• Can detect tremor and movement patterns (Apple Watch)
• Helpful if you want more detailed data
MyTherapy
Best for medication reminders + simple tracking.
• Medication alerts so doses aren’t missed
• Symptom tracking with daily logs
• Generates monthly reports
PD Buddy
Combines tracking with daily routines and support.
• Tracks symptoms and daily habits
• Includes community support features
• Good for people who want structure + connection
What Most People Don't Tell You About Apps
No app is perfect.Some are:
• Too complicated when you’re already overwhelmed
• Focused more on movement than non-motor symptoms
• Easy to start… but hard to keep up with dailyIf an app feels like too much, it’s not the right tool for you.
Tracking is not about being perfect.It’s about being able to say:
• “This happens every afternoon.”
• “This started after my medication change.”
• “This is why I can’t function at certain times.”That kind of clarity can change how seriously symptoms are taken.
Prefer something simple?You don’t need an app.A notebook, printed tracker, or even your phone notes can work just as well.
© 2026 TooShaky
Disclaimer: This patient education resource was created by Dawn Howard, Parkinson’s Advocate & Neurological Health Educator, through TooShaky.org, to support individuals newly diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Content is informed by lived experience, patient education best practices, and information from established medical, nonprofit, and educational sources. Drafting, editing, and organizational support were assisted by ChatGPT (OpenAI) as a writing and language tool, under the direction and review of the author. Educational content and references are drawn from sources including, but not limited to: Parkinson’s Foundation, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA), Davis Phinney Foundation, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, PubMed, PMC PubMed Central, Peer-reviewed medical literature and clinical education resources. This material is provided for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to replace individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Patients should discuss all medical questions and care decisions with their healthcare provider. TooShaky.org does not provide medical care and does not establish a clinician–patient relationship.