How To Help Seniors With Dementia Deal With Pain?

The study conducted on dementia reveals that seniors with dementia tend to experience severe pain. If the senior is healthy, then he can easily tell the family members or caregivers about the pain or discomfort he is feeling but this might not be possible if the senior is in the last stage of dementia.

Communicating pain is dependent on the memory and verbal capacity of seniors and seniors with dementia have difficulty in both due to which, they might not tell you about the pain they are experiencing.

Consequently, identifying pain in seniors is challenging due to differences in symptoms and confusion with other conditions, especially in those with dementia. Pain can manifest as behavioral changes, including aggression, depression, and cognitive issues. Neglecting pain can lead to mental and functional decline, reduced mobility, and complications from untreated conditions. No matter what, you need to recognize and address pain in seniors, especially those with dementia, which is crucial for their well-being.

Signs Of Pain In Seniors With Dementia

From pain in joints and bones to headaches or ulcers, seniors with dementia tend to experience all types of pain. The family members and caregivers can identify if the senior with dementia is in pain by taking note of some clues.

Some of the pain indicators you need to take note of among seniors with dementia includes:

Facial expressions- Take note of the facial expressions of seniors with dementia. Dementia patients have a habit of squinting or closing their eyes and furrowing their brows when they are in pain.

Aggressive- The seniors turning aggressive or verbally abusive is another indication of seniors in pain. For seniors, these are defense mechanisms when they are in pain.

Body language- The Body language of the seniors in pain might be restless, limp, staying still, crouching, or fidgeting when in pain.

Difficult breathing- Another indicator of pain among seniors with dementia is that they tend to face difficulty in breathing.

Vocalizations- The seniors with dementia when in pain tend to moan, call out for help or groan.

The caregivers are usually trained to note these signs and symptoms in seniors with dementia and report these changes to their heads or family members. Seniors with dementia often need help with daily tasks, meal preparation, taking medications, or in remaining physically active.