Elderly Loved Ones and Chronic Pain

Elderly Care in Calgary

No one wants to see their loved ones in pain, particularly if its pain that never seems to end. As relatives grow older, medications affect them in different ways, with different side effects and possibly lessened effectiveness. Helping loved ones to manage chronic pain takes a delicate balance and the help of elderly care providers as well.

Differentiating Pain Types
There are two major types of pain: acute and chronic. Acute pain happens after an injury and leaves once the injury resolves. Chronic pain is longer lasting pain that may worsen depending on variables such as weather conditions and other health problems. Acute pain can recur if your loved one injures himself in the same way again. If youre in doubt as to which type of pain your loved one is dealing with, his doctor can help you to sort the symptoms out.

Hiding the Pain
Sometimes its difficult to know when elderly relatives are in pain because they might hide their symptoms. Your elderly loved one might be afraid of being a burden for you, or she might simply struggle with showing any weaknesses at all. In the case of an elderly relative with dementia, however, he could hide pain symptoms simply because he cannot express pain the way that he would have in the past. Knowledgeable in-homecare providers are helpful in these situations because they have training to easily recognize these symptoms.

Keeping Track of Pain
Tracking chronic pain is a good way to get accurate information to the doctor. Sometimes loved ones cannot keep accurate records on their own, particularly if theyre dealing with dementia. homecare providers can help by keeping track of symptoms and pain levels when you cant be there yourself. A simple log on a piece of paper can do the trick.

Treating Chronic Pain
Treating chronic pain involves starting out with over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen and/or ibuprofen. WebMD points out that even these medications, which your loved one may have taken for years before, can sometimes have new or unexpected side effects. Its best to alert senior care providers to any new medications, even over-the-counter medications, so that unusual reactions can be reported to the physician. Managing chronic pain for elderly loved ones can be a large task. With help from elderly care providers, though, it is easier to spot and manage those symptoms.

Source:
http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/treating-pain-elderly