There has been lot of talk about the dangers of opioid painkillers, and many senior care advocates have gone as far as to say that these painkillers should not be prescribed except in the most severe of short term cases. There are a lot of negative things that opioids do, and the statistics say that there is a higher risk of mortality when this medication is introduced. However, despite all of the bad things said, and despite all of the extra problems that they may cause, they do have a use–in certain times and places–and that means they are not going anywhere. And this is why there are now efforts to try and supervise the use of opioid usage more effectively.
In fact, a recent study indicates that when taken under the supervision of others, specifically when high quality care is being given, the risk of death decreases. This study looked at some advice given by substance abuse counselors and other medical professionals, taking input from those that have worked with people of all ages that have struggled with addiction and have studied the negative consequences.
In addition to recommending quality care, the study also looked at mental health services, substance abuse counseling, and physical therapy. When these things are combined with care and a physician’s supervision, the risk of death that is associated with opioid use goes down. 6 percent of patients that were observed here died during this period, but when mental health care was applied, the risk of death went down by 50 percent. This is quite encouraging, and although there are still many complications that need to be addressed when it comes to opioid usage, when prescribing these are necessary, there is greater hope for those that absolutely need it. About 17,000 individual patients were observed over the course of a one year period between 2000 and 2010. This was done with the help of Veterans Affairs, and results were published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine earlier this month.
The study did not specifically say whether or not the care being provided needed to be of a professional quality or not, but it does make sense that a professional caregiver, either in the form of in-home care or something else, would be of further benefit. Trained caregivers are better able to spot negative impacts, simply because they have the background and the experience to do so. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to care for a loved one yourself, but a professional has much more experience than you do and they are far more likely to be able to handle emergency situations or to stop bad things from happening before they become an issue. This is one of the reasons why in-home care is so popular right now, and it’s one of the reasons why a professional caregiver can be a positive thing for an elderly loved one. When combined with the love and attention that you are already giving your mom or dad, this can be even more beneficial.
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