Pain is often undertreated in people with dementia. That doesn’t happen for malicious reasons, but instead because it can be difficult to recognize pain in people with dementia. This is even more true if your senior is non-verbal because of her dementia. Resolving this situation involves learning more about your senior’s pain triggers and what can indicate to you that she’s in pain.
Home Health Care Millington TN – What Do You Need to Know about Pain if Your Senior Has Dementia?
What Causes Pain for People with Dementia?
People with dementia experience pain for the same reasons that other people experience pain. The big difference is that your elderly family member may not be able to express what she’s feeling. She may have an injury or she may have a chronic health issue that has pain as one of its symptoms. Addressing known issues is a good way to start to get a handle on your senior’s pain.
You May Not Always Realize She’s in Pain
Depending on your senior’s ability to communicate, she may not be able to tell you that she’s experiencing pain. She may also not be able to express the degree of the pain that she’s experiencing. One of the things that can help is if you are able to start learning the clues that indicate when your senior is experiencing pain. She might utter specific phrases, moan, or she might even have a complete change in mood. Keeping a pain log can help with this.
Ask Your Senior How She’s Feeling
Whether your senior still communicates verbally or not, it’s a good idea to talk directly to her when you have questions about something that is going on. Ask your elderly family member how she’s feeling or, even more directly, if she’s in pain. Her reactions and her responses can help you to understand what’s happening.
Develop a Plan with Her Doctor
It’s also really important for you to work together with your senior’s doctor to formulate a plan to manage her pain. There may be some specific therapies or medications that can help your senior to be more comfortable. Once you’ve got a plan, it’s going to be much easier to help your senior to reduce her pain levels.
Keeping an eye on your senior’s pain levels is much easier with some help. Home health care providers can help you to spot the signs that your elderly family member might be uncomfortable so that you can take steps to help her much sooner.
For Home Health Care Services in Millington TN, please contact the caring staff at Personal Care Services MidSouth today!
