Abstract
Parkinson's disease is a chronical neurological disease. The prevalence of Parkinson's disease is increasing as a result of the increasing number of elderly. The aim of this study was to investigate in what way the Parkinson's disease affects the person's with the disease and their next-of-kin and how they handle their situation. The method used has a qualitative approach. Data has been collected from seven persons with Parkinson's disease and six next-of-kin. The present study showed the time before the diagnose, the time for the diagnose, the time after the diagnose, the situation today and in the future. The patients and their next-of-kin experiences were expressed as denying or accepting, fear or relief, negative or positive self-esteem, dependence or independence, anxiety or confidence. The study also showed that the length and the phase of the Parkinson's disease influenced both the persons with Parkinson's disease and their next-of-kin experiences of the situations. It is important to understand the experiences of the affects in order to be able to meet their needs.