How can I get my grandmother with Alzheimer's to receive better pain management?
Answers
Pain management with Alzheimer’s disease-There is no reason why her pain should be left untreated. The symptoms she is beginning to show is typical for a person with poorly treated pain. Her doctors are correct and pain meds can affect her dementia/anxiety, but from a quality of life standpoint, there should be proactive attempts to control her pain. Make sure she is having a pain specialist provide consults; these physicians are focused on pain management and have great comfort prescribing meds for pain in the senior population. I would need more information on her medications to provide a general assessment of whether it is the typical pain management regimen for a patient in pain. There is a basic strategy we follow---one medication for sustained coverage around the clock and another for break through pain.
