Pain in Hospice Patients With Dementia: The Informal Caregiver Experience
This study describes their experience managing pain in hospice patients with dementia.
Methods:
We conducted a qualitative analysis of audio-recorded interviews with informal caregivers of hospice patients with dementia who had chosen pain as the challenge they wanted to work on within a problem-solving therapy intervention.
Results:
The thematic analysis of sessions with 51 caregivers identified 4 themes: difficulty in communicating with patients, lack of consistent guidance from health-care professionals, perceived uncertainty about the etiology of pain, and secondary suffering.
Discussion:
Our findings indicate the possible need for increased support for caregivers, including educational interventions targeting pain etiology and assessment, and improved communication with health-care professionals.
Source: American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias - Category: Geriatrics Authors: Tarter, R., Demiris, G., Pike, K., Washington, K., Parker Oliver, D. Tags: Current Topics in Research Source Type: research
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