Helping To Manage Pain In People Living With Dementia

Seniors with Alzheimer’s or another dementia experience pain or serious discomfort on a daily basis, and unfortunately, these people typically receive poor pain relief, a major part of which can be attributed to the inability of the person to talk about their pain to their loved ones. On top of that, caregivers often do not recognize when the person is in pain or do not know how to help. It’s also true that it’s difficult to know when someone with dementia is in pain since the person loses his ability to recognize what’s going on in their body and communicate their needs as dementia progresses, and might be in need for assisted living Anthem. Sometimes they hide out of fear of going to the hospital or having to undergo any surgery or painful treatments.

The main causes of pain in dementia patients:

The physical pain that dementia patients often experience is not due to Alzheimer’s or dementia, but due to health conditions that usually affect seniors that lead to the pain. The health conditions include

1. Chronic health conditions (arthritis, gout)
2. Illness and infections (for example, urinary tract infections, and illnesses like shingles)
3. Injuries and surgery (injuries typically from falls- can be an internal injury with no visible bruises, and of course, the recovery period for seniors is longer than younger adults after a surgery)
4. Bed sores (common in individuals with compromised mobility, bed sores can cause excruciating pain)
5. Some other conditions include constipation, acid reflux, etc. (very common in seniors due to slowing of the digestive system as one grows old)

Pain is often experienced when a part of the body is moving, for example, when turning sides in bed, getting dressed or undressed, etc.

Signs to watch out for indicating they might be in pain:

1. Cursing
2. Repetition in words or behaviors
3. Wandering
4. Restlessness
5. You are finding it difficult to please the person (being pricey)
6. Apathy and a sudden withdrawal from activities and interactions

The best way to find out if your loved one is in any kind of pain is by asking them directly if something is bothering them. Hopefully, they’ll be able to describe it, if no, don’t pressure them. If you know the person very well, you’d instantly know if they are in pain or discomfort, as you’d easily be able to recognize a sudden change in behavior (from their typical mood and behavior), or the way they look like or behave when they’re in pain, or old injuries that are still a nuisance for them, and you’d also know exactly what to do when he or she is in pain.

Another way is by observing their behavior, for example, a sudden angry outburst, making groaning sounds, crying, hiding certain parts of the body, looking fearful or tensed, refusing to eat or talk, increase in confusion, labored breathing, sweating and looking flushed.  There are ways you can help your older adult with dementia relieve chronic pain, you can opt for non-drug pain relief treatments like gentle exercise, cold packs or heating pads, etc. or by consulting with their doctor in regards to the same who will prescribe appropriate pain relief medication.