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Caregiver tips
Chronic pain
Here are some questions that you need to ask if you suspect or know that the
person in your care has pain. Don't wait for nurses or doctors to ask you
about the pain; be prepared to report this information to them.
- Have you experienced this type of pain before?
Does it hurt more or less than the previous times?
- Where does it hurt? Is the pain in the same place,
does it move or does it just hurt all over? Is the pain sharp, dull,
throbbing, achy, etc.? Does the pain have a burning, electrical shock
or shooting quality to it?
- How long does the pain normally last? Has the pain
gotten worse over time?
- How strong or weak is the pain? Many people measure their pain on a scale
from zero to ten. Zero is no pain and ten is the worst pain imaginable.
What number from zero to ten describes the pain? What number describes
the amount of pain that is tolerable daily and still allows the individual
to maintain a normal life? Is it worse at a certain time of day or after
a particular activity?
- What measures have been used to relieve the pain? Did they work? If they
didn't, what else was done?
- What effect does the pain have on sleep patterns,
appetite, functioning in daily living, emotions, mood, relationships,
etc.?
Also see:
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