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Chronic pain in old people affects individuals and families in different ways. Chronic pain is more common and severe among older people, who in addition to normal physical limitations that come with aging, end up dealing with the associated range of issues. Some of the effects occur at the individual level while others occur at the family level, with potential impacts on the community. The impacts also take on two major forms. They can be physical or psychological (Better Health Channel, 2011).
The physical effects of chronic pain on individuals come from the discomfort the pain causes, and the treatment and interventions required to manage the pain (Dewar, 2007). Pains like backaches, joint and bone pains limit motion. Depending on the severity, it may stop them from participating in simple chores such as household cleaning. It also makes it difficult for them to participate in demanding activities such as jogging, walking, or prolonged standing. Very severe pain may make it necessary for the person to have full time attention from someone else to help with simple tasks such as eating, going to the bathroom, and taking a shower. Some physical effects may arise from dependency on painkillers due to the associated side effects (Virir, 2009).
The psychological effects come from the realization that due to the chronic pain, someone needs to adjust his lifestyle in order to manage the pain. This sense of being limited results in stress especially because it may be necessary to rely on people for activities someone has always done for themselves such as doing the laundry. People who had very active lifestyles may suffer from severe depression especially if the onset of the pain is sudden. Generally, human beings do not adjust too well to sudden permanent changes especially if they lose some of the freedom they have enjoyed.
The families of old people with chronic pain also go through a number of impacts because of the presence of someone suffering from chronic pain (Kumar, 2007). In many cases, the family makes changes to its routine to accommodate the needs of the patient. They may find it necessary to create a private room for the person to better accommodate their needs. This means that one or several members of the family will lose their space. Depending on the level of dependency that the pain brings about, some members of the family may have to adjust their lifestyle permanently in order to be the primary caregivers.
The psychological effects that families suffer from depend on the severity of the pain in the sufferer. When the pain is light, then a family can go on without significant psychological effects. This is also the case if the patient has strong coping habits. On the other hand, the family can suffer from trauma if the patient is in a lot of pain, occasioned by severe limitations (National Health Priority Action Council, 2006). This constant exposure to the pain causes the family to feel sorry for the patient. It may lead to depression in adults and over-reaction in younger children when they come across people suffering from chronic pain in the future. If the therapies required require a lot of money to finance, then there is likelihood of additional stress on the providers of the family. In addition to providing palliative care, they will also bear the financial burden of taking care of the patient.
References
Better Health Channel. (2011). Pain Management – Adults. Web.
Dewar, A. (2007). Assessment and Management of Chronic pain in the Older Person Living in the Community. Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing , 24 (1).
Kumar, N. (2007). WHO Normative Guidelines on Pain Management: Report of a Delphi Study to Determine the Need for the Guidelines and to Identify the Number and topics of Guidelines that Should be Developed by WHO. Gevena: World health organization (WHO).
National Health Priority Action Council (2006). National Chronic Disease Strategy. Canberra: Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.
Virir. (2009). Pain Assessment and Management in Residential Aged Care. Victoria: Vivir Healthcare Pty Ltd.
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