For Senior Providers, ensuring the quality of life enjoyed by older adult care recipients is a top priority. In order to accomplish this, it's important to recognize physical and mental barriers that can impair these individuals, thereby paving the way to develop new strategies to counter or overcome them. The rise in Alzheimer's disease rates, for example, has led many care managers to introduce new strategies to encourage recognition and routine. Now, a new study has indicated another common obstacle that may become a focus in future eldercare.
It goes without saying that many older adults experience pain, whether they are suffering from arthritis or occasional bouts of aching and general discomfort. However, researchers from the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the University of Washington have discovered that more than half of older adults experience "bothersome pain" on a fairly regular basis. Based on a series of surveys and interviews carried out by the researchers, instances of pain were highest among women and older adults who reported symptoms of depression or preexisting musculoskeletal concerns. Most of these respondents also cited pain in multiple areas, including the back and hip.
"Pain is common in older adults and one of the major reasons why we start slowing down as we age," explained lead investigator Kushang Patel, Ph.D., MPH, in a press release. "Considering that pain is often poorly managed in the geriatric population, our findings underscore the need for public health action."
Instances of pain can make everyday tasks more difficult, and over time could lead to self-neglect and social isolation, particularly as respondents who cited regular pain in multiple areas reported that they struggled to walk three blocks. One obstacle that Senior Providers must overcome as they approach this issue is that many older adults may be reluctant to speak up about their physical difficulties for fear that they may lose their independence in the process.
This is precisely where Independa can help. Our suite of telecare services promotes independent living by allowing care recipients to benefit from remote monitoring and consistent communication wherever they may reside. For older adults dealing with regular pain, Independa Angela offers a simple and intuitive interface that delivers medication reminders to help stay on top of their prescription schedules.
Contact us today through our online form to learn more about improving care recipient quality of life through telecare.
