A total of 227 patients with Parkinson's disease, and their age, sex-matched, non-Parkinsonian controls were assessed for their ability to cope with everyday activities. Fifty-four patients and 21 controls were living in a hospital or residential home for the elderly. The help given by informal and formal carers of the remaining 173 patients and 206 controls living in their own homes was also noted. The speech of 32 (14%) patients and four (2%) controls was unintelligible. Seventy patients were housebound compared with 26 controls. Consistently greater numbers of patients were dependent for self-care tasks such as eating a meal and bathing. Similarly more patients were dependent in household tasks. One hundred and nine (63%) patients and 139 (68%) controls had practical help from their families more than once a week. Parkinson's sufferers received more statutory support, but fewer were able to live alone. Patients with Parkinson's disease are considerably more disabled in all aspects of everyday life, but receive similar family support as patients without the disease.