Managing pain for someone through the end of life

[Lawana]

Mil 84, who has lived with us for the past almost 11 years, is now reaching the end of her life. Post broken pelvis and heart attack in October, she is bedridden and needs help with almost everything. She can still feed herself and do some of her toileting hygeine, but not all.

 

She has had home health nurse visits, but other than taking her vitals and providing some dressings for bed sores (I actually dress the wounds) and lecturing about sodium intake (her blood pressure has been 100-110/70), the nurse hasn't been *doing* anything, and mil finds the visits annoying. So we just discontinued that.

 

Her main issue is pain from severe osteoporosis, for which she takes a *lot* of pain meds, but they don't relieve all the pain. I would like to involve hospice as they are very experienced with pain management, but they require at least weekly nurse visits, which mil doesn't want. Her pcp is already freaked out about the dosages of pain meds, and won't increase them on our request.

 

What other sources are available to find out about end of life pain management options? Other than just Google, which I've done.

 

Do I insist on hospice, even though she doesn't want it?

[Just Another Jen]

Start hospice. Today. After you get set up they will obey her wishes if she doesn' t want the weekly visit. We waited far too long with my mil and her pain management suffered.

[Lawana]

Start hospice. Today. After you get set up they will obey her wishes if she doesn' t want the weekly visit. We waited far too long with my mil and her pain management suffered.

Thank you. I would hope that would be the case, but I've been told (by hospice) otherwise?

[Laurie4b]

I'd encourage you to give Hospice a try. She may find that she feels differently about weekly visits from them than from home health nurses who weren't doing anything. They are trained to do more than physical care.

 

Have you seen a doctor who specializes in pain management? A pain specialist may find that other combinations of pain killers work better for her, and there are things that can be done without drugs to decrease pain.

[EKS]

I'd also recommend hospice.

[Joules]

Try hospice. We did home health with Mom and then switched to hospice. There is a world of difference between the attitudes and type of care. There will be no more lectures. It is all about what your MIL wants and what will make her comfortable and happy. I wish we had been with hospice all along. Also in our home hospice situation, there was a doctor who was a pain management specialist assigned to the case. We never saw him, but he gave much needed, stronger medications than the regular doc could.

[PrincessMommy]

Hospice. Please call them and ask them all your questions. You will probably need to get a doctor's order for it to formally start, but your local hospice will know all the proper proceedures. They can properly care for pain management where the weekly visits do not. If you live in a major metro area you may have more than one Hospice option to look into.

[Twigs]

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

[Lawana]

Thanks to those encouraging us to try hospice. I've already talked to them, but I'll get the ball rolling.

 

Yes, mil has seen a pain specialist in the past. Right now, it would be a huge ordeal to get her out of the house, as she cannot sit fully upright. I hope hospice can consult with an MD to get her better pain relief.