Pain and Dementia: Observing Body Language Important When People Can’t Articulate Pain
My dad, who had developed dementia after surgery to correct problems from a World War II brain injury, was seized by sudden, horrendous pain. While he had to cope with considerable pain from arthritis and some back issues, this was different.
rushed to the nurse who was in charge of his floor at the nursing home. She explained they had called the doctor, but the doctor couldn’t figure out what was wrong. The Physician’s Assistant would visit Dad that day, on her rounds. Meanwhile, I was sickened by his agony and my inability to help him.
I tried my best to comfort him, but felt powerless.
When anyone we love is in pain, most of us want to find an answer. When that person can’t tell us what is wrong, our feeling of helplessness can be nearly overwhelming. We try one thing, we try another. We have experts examine the person. We do all we can, but when the pain doesn’t change, yet the person isn’t terminal, we wonder – at least, I wondered about Dad – how can he go on like this? He wanted to die…
Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories. “For anyone having to walk the last segments of life with a loved one, read this.” …Delores
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