Caregiver’s Guide: Helping Seniors Manage Daily Discomfort

Body aches and pains happen. Sometimes, they're mild and last for a few hours. Other times, the discomfort is chronic and severe, lasting multiple weeks or months. Whatever the discomfort situation is for your client, there are steps you can take as a caregiver to help manage their pain.

Common Types Of Pain In Seniors

Everyone experiences varying levels of pain, and unfortunately, pain can grow more persistent with age. Pain can also develop anywhere in the body as a result of an illness, physical trauma, environment, or lifestyle factors. A few common causes of pain among seniors include:

• Arthritis: About 53 million adults have arthritis, which includes any type of joint pain in the body. Anyone can develop arthritis, but it is more common among adults 65 and older.
• Cancer Pain: Cancer and cancer treatments can cause physical pain, such as body aches or headaches.
• Physical Trauma: Physical trauma is a body injury that occurs because of physical force, like a fall. In seniors, falls are the most common cause of physical trauma, such as bruising or broken bones, resulting in more than 3 million emergency room visits each year.
• Muscle Strains occur when muscles are overused or overexerted. They can result from working out or moving too fast and may cause pain, bruising, and swelling.

Helping Manage Everyday Discomfort

As caregivers, there are techniques we can use to help clients who express discomfort manage their pain.

Understand The Cause Of Pain

When a client tells you they’re in pain, one of the first things you should do is ask if they know why they’re in discomfort. Understanding the cause of pain can help you understand common triggers for the pain and what actions or lifestyle choices may be contributing to your client’s pain.

For example, if a client tells you they’ve fallen recently and have a bruised hip, they likely need to go to the doctor to ensure they didn’t break a bone. If your client tells you they have arthritis in their knees, then you know they may need assistance standing and walking when they have a flare-up.

Help with Cooking Healthy Meals

What a person eats can have a significant impact on their overall health, including physical discomfort. Research suggests that some foods may trigger inflammation while others can help reduce inflammation and, therefore, reduce discomfort. Consider making your client some home-cooked meals with low-processed foods like whole grains, fresh produce, and lean meats.

Encourage Daily Movement

Exercise and daily movement have many benefits. Encouraging movement strengthens the muscles and may even reduce inflammation, leading to less discomfort. Even something as simple as going for a 15-minute walk can have a positive impact on everyday discomfort in seniors.

While daily movement is great for physical health, you shouldn’t encourage strenuous workouts for clients who have physical traumas or are undergoing severe cancer treatments. In those situations, you can rely on guidance from their medical teams on how much physical exertion is okay.

Help Find Local Therapies Or Specialists

Depending on their condition, some seniors may need outside care from a physical therapist or specialist. If their doctor recommends additional treatment, your client may need help scheduling an appointment online or with transportation to get to the appointment.

If your client is in pain but hasn’t received medical attention, consider helping them schedule an appointment with a pain specialist, such as the team at Lake Physical Medicine or the pain management team at University Hospital.

What Not To Do

It’s a common feeling as a professional caregiver to want to do anything you can to provide comfort to your client. Yet, there are some things you can’t do as a professional caregiver because it may put your client’s safety at risk.

• Recommend or administer medications. It is okay to remind clients to take their pain medication if they have a doctor's prescription. However, you can not administer medications or suggest alternative medications.
• Provide massages or other relaxation therapies. Massage and relaxation therapies may seem helpful, but they should only be performed by a licensed massage therapist. Giving massages can cause further pain if done incorrectly.
• Move clients in pain. As a caregiver, it’s okay to provide mobility assistance, such as providing stability as they move from sitting to standing positions. If you’re assisting a client with their mobility and they express pain or discomfort, don’t try to force movement because it may cause further complications. Instead, contact their medical team or family members for further assistance.

Companion And Personal Care With Visiting Angels

Visiting Angels is a locally owned and operated home care agency helping clients through Northeast Ohio live safely and comfortably at home. If you’re the family member of a senior loved one, we hope this guide offers you insight into how our care team works with clients to help manage their pain from a non-medical perspective.

If you or your loved one in Mentor or the surrounding communities needs assistance at home, you can contact our office to schedule a complimentary consultation to learn more about how our caregiver services can help manage daily discomfort.