Pain Management in Group Homes
Pain management is a branch in the medical field that deals with the relief of chronic or acute pain. Chronic pain often occurs as a result of certain conditions such as cancer and neuropathy – damage to the nervous system of the body. Acute pain most often occurs as a result of some sort of trauma to the body which is a reversible type of pain and may require pain medication to be resolved or cured. While pain management is a legitimate form of medicine, it is also possible for abuse to occur amongst residents of group homes and assisted living centers. Some forms of abuse may occur as a result of misuse of medications or a complete negligence to provide medication to residents.
There are many ways for doctors and nurses to provide pain management for patients with both chronic and acute pain symptoms. The type of pain management that a nurse or doctor provides to their patients varies by the type of pain that they are suffering from. Pain relief can be provided simply by using pain relief medication, while other types of pain relief may require other more complex procedures. In some cases, surgery may even be required to provide complete or moderate pain relief. The types of pain relief that can be provided are:
Types of Pain Management Care
- Medication such as NSAIDs – Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
- Painkillers
- Antidepressants
- Physical Therapy
- Exercise
- Ice/Heat Application
- Cognitive Therapy (psychological pain management)
Pain medication is the most common way to relieve acute pain; however, pain medication can be easily abused either from patients who need it or doctors and nurses who prescribe it. If a resident suffers from an overdose of pain killers, for example, there are many symptoms that can occur that can put that individual in grave danger. Some of these symptoms include:
- Shallow or Slow Breathing
- Nausea
- Drowsiness
- Convulsions
- Coma
- Death
Pain management care can also be provided by prescribing antidepressants as well. Depression often causes chronic and/or acute pain in the sufferer and therefore antidepressant medicine is often prescribed instead of pain medication. However, just like with pain medication, it is possible to suffer from overdose of antidepressant medication as well. This can occur because of negligence of staff in assisted living centers; staff members not monitoring medicine administration or staff members administering too much medication to patients: overmedication. Some of the symptoms of overdose of antidepressants include:
- Rapid Heart Beat
- Drowsiness
- Dry Mouth
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Urinary Retention
- Headache
- Confusion
- Hallucinations
- Seizures
It is very important to ensure that your loved ones are well cared for in assisted living centers. Always be aware of your loved ones medicinal intake and take notice of any signs of medicinal abuse that may be occurring in the facility. It is your loved one’s right to be provided with proper care which includes proper scheduling of medicinal intake and proper monitoring of administration of medicine. You can contact an Arizona Nursing Home Attorney if any abuse is taking place.
Contact an Arizona Group Home Abuse Attorney
If someone in an Maricopa County assisted living center has been a victim of misuse of medication or overmedication, An Arizona lawyer can help get you get the information you need to take legal action against the Nursing Homes For more information about the Scottsdale, Tempe, Phoenix, and surrounding areas, check out www.nursinghomeadvocates.com.
