Pain Awareness Month: How Hospice Care Can Help Control Chronic

How Hospice Care Can Help Control Chronic Pain

Considering it’s Pain Awareness Month, it’s a great time to discuss the ways in which hospice care can help patients with chronic pain issues.

Chronic pain is one of the most common ailments and can become much worse if allowed to go untreated.

That’s why one of the primary purposes of hospice care is to pinpoint the nature of the pain and then to prescribe a treatment plan specific to each individual patient.

3 Ways Hospice Care Can Help to Control Chronic Pain

Hospice care helps manage the end-of-life process in many different ways, but its main goal is to enhance the patient’s quality of life as much as possible until the end.

Naturally, that includes managing chronic pain.

Be Aware of the Pain

Although it may seem strange, many patients may be unable to communicate they’re in pain, or be hesitant to mention it.

For this reason, hospice workers are trained to notice signs of pain in patients. These signs can include faster breathing, a rise in blood pressure, fidgeting, or becoming easily angered.

Evaluate the Pain

Once the hospice team is aware of the pain, they can then access its severity. This can often involve using a pain rating scale, although much of the evaluation is based on the physician’s knowledge.

In addition to the physical pain, the hospice pain will also evaluate the patient’s emotional and mental pain, as these can also be treated and are often related to physical pain.

Treat the Pain

Pain treatment can take many forms in hospice care, all of which are dependent on the patient’s individual needs and severity of pain.

Medications are one of the most common forms of pain mitigation. Not only will the hospice team ensure the patient is getting the correct medication, but also that the dose isn’t too much, in order to prevent side effects.

For certain types of pain, tactics such as massage therapy may also be employed. These are especially effective against soreness and rigidness, but can also be mentally soothing.

In addition, hospice facilities can provide emotional or spiritual support to patients by way of social workers or chaplains. Having a patient feel satisfied and at peace can do wonders for bolstering the rest of the treatments.

Chronic Pain Can Be Managed with Hospice Care

Patients shouldn’t have to accept chronic pain as being a part of their life.

As long as they’re in the right care, there are ways to mitigate pain and increase their quality of life. All it takes is to know the pain is there, evaluate it, and then treat it.

Through these simple steps, hospice care can make sure that patients aren’t needlessly suffering and are able to live their best lives.

Are you considering hospice care for your loved one? Reach out to Divinity Hospice online or by phone (281-339-7079). We’ll give your loved one the respect, attention, and personalized care they deserve