Assessing Alzheimers Pain
It can be very difficult to determine if someone with Alzheimer's Disease is having pain. They may not be able to communicate their pain to you. Alzheimers Pain can be the cause of behaviors. Are they restless? Are they aggressive or agitated? Did they have problems with pain before the Alzheimers? Someone with a diagnosis like arthritis can have daily aches and pains. .
Consequences of Untreated Pain!
Myths of Pain Management
Myths:Old people don’t feel pain as much. Taking pain medicine will cause you to become an addict I Just Have to Live with the Pain Bed Rest Is Usually the Best Cure for Pain. Older patients cannot tolerate strong pain medications.
Taken in the short-term and used as directed, the risk of becoming addicted to an opioid medication is very, very low For most causes of arthritis or joint pain, keeping up your normal schedule -- including your physical activity -- will help you feel better. The odds of developing a painful condition, such as arthritis,is higher as we age. But those conditions can be treated and the pain can be well-controlled.
Assessing Pain
You will need to help your doctor figure out if your family member is having any pain. The better picture you can paint for him the more appropriately he willbe able to treat any pain. The following information will help you paint that picture. Location: Ask if pain seems to radiate from one position to another: i.e..., from the back, down leg, from abdomen to back. Quality: Describe what it feels like in the family members words if possible. The way in which a pain is described is often a clue to its origin. Timing: In relationship to events, meals, bathing or change in position. Does it begin suddenly or come on gradually? Does it seem worse at night or in morning? Severity: Describe in terms of what it is now, and at its worst. Determine if pain is mild, moderate, severe, or very severe . Watch for non-verbal signs of pain, especially in the person who cannot describe the pain severity himself. Use your own judgment to rate severity when your family member can not. Factors which worsen or improve pain? Medication, relaxation, movement, breathing, position, bracing, sitting, lying down or one side etc.... Consequences: How does the pain affect other symptoms, activity, function, sleep, ADL, mobility, appetite, quality of life, agitation, confusion, difficulty in providing care etc..? The Painad assessment tool can be helpful determining if your family member is having pain. Watch them for at least 5 minutes at different times during the day. There are signs to watch for though. One of the best times to determine if someone has pain is while they are getting dressed or undressed. When they walk do they hang on to furniture or the wall? It may be for added balance but it can also be pain related. Watch their facial expressions. Do they grimace? Do they pull away? I have found a tylenol 2 or 3 times a day can help. Especially a dose at bedtime.It can help them sleep better if they are having discomfort at night. Ask your Doctor if it is ok to start your family member with Alzheimers Disease on a scheduled routine of tylenol
Alzheimers in your Home Alzheimers Stages |
