In the past, we’ve talked a little about the dangers of misusing medications, and opioid pain medications are one of the most widely misused medications there is within the senior community. Sometimes this is done purposefully, but other times it is because of poor medication management, either by themselves or by an untrained caregiver. This drug has the potential to become addictive, and many people with a chronic issue, disability, or some sort of cognitive impairment are at a higher risk of misuse than other elderly folk are. Unfortunately, the negative side effects of misusing opioids are very dangerous.
A new study has shown that when patients are prescribed opioids for the first time after a hospital discharge, they are far more likely to become addicted to the medications than previously thought. About one in four of those that are prescribed opioids in such an instance start taking them chronically. This is according to information provided by the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Over 6,600 patients were looked at for the study, and their activities were followed for over a year after.
Opioids are highly effective at treating pain, but they cause a feeling of euphoria, and oftentimes patients will ask for prescriptions even after their pain is gone as a result. However, what happens is sometimes one problem (pain) is traded for another (addiction). This is certainly not an ideal tradeoff for anyone.
Having a loved one that is in pain is a struggle. It places a heavy burden upon family members because these are oftentimes their caregivers. Having a professional caregiver helping can ease this burden, but that won’t necessarily take away the pain that the loved one is facing. To help with this, consult their physician and ask if there are ways to help relieve pain other than opioids. In many cases, the answer will be yes, but not in all. By working together with a doctor and an in-home caregiver that you trust, you can help your elderly loved one suffer less from their pain and have the freedom in their life that they crave without being completely dependent on their family members. It’s a small step in some cases, but your parent or grandparent will truly appreciate it.
If you have an elderly loved one suffering from opioid addiction, there are steps that you can take to help them. Again, consult their physician first. They can help you to get your loved one safely and gently away from the cycle of prescribing dangerous and needless medications. However, as this study implied, many patients that visit the hospital do not visit their general practitioner often. This happens a lot in lower income families, but it is still a dangerous practice. It also stresses the importance of ensuring that your loved one goes to the doctor for regular checkups so that this sort of crisis is less likely to occur. Rather than wait until there is an emergency and take them to the ER, be more proactive about taking them to regularly scheduled appointments so that pain is kept under control before it becomes a problem.
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