Dealing With Pain

Have you ever stubbed your toe and laughed and jumped around because of the pain? If someone saw you dance around, they would not necessarily know that you’re in pain and what the pain is from. Being conscious of funny reactions to painful situations, we start our story.™

Gillian is a sweet lady with Alzheimer’s disease, living in a care home. Usually this gentle soul is very quiet and compliant with care staff. And she just doesn’t make much fuss about anything. However, one morning she woke up and was acting strangely, humming and singing loudly. The care staff knew she loved to sing, but this was different.

Her humming seemed forced to me; it was a strained and unsettled one – a cry from pain. And she was consoling herself. When Gillian was asked by the care staff what was wrong. Gillian was very dismissive and said in a high voice “nothing’s wrong, nothing’s wrong.”

Eventually after breakfast she threw up. As Gillian wasn’t offering a clue, we had to improvise and investigate. I watched Gillian’s manners while she lay in her bed.  I even poked on her stomach just as the nurses did but she continued to show no signs of pain. The singing continued throughout the day. When the next shift came in, I asked the care staff what her thoughts were on the situation. She informed me that all she knew was that Gillian recently had a small surgery on the side of her breast.

Earlier when I was poking around her stomach seeking a pain reaction. I noticed the elastic from her bra was on tight. There was a note next to Gillian’s bedside table that said, “No underwire bra for Gillian”. The afternoon care staff decided we should take off the bra and shortly after Gillian seemed to be at ease…no more strained humming!

Knowing The Cause

For all those who care for people with Alzheimer’s disease, it’s so important to investigate cause for a reaction. Keep in mind that many times the reaction will be puzzling and sometimes difficult to decipher. But you need to keep asking questions to find the answer.

If you’re having trouble singling out the reason for a troubling reaction, then make sure to get professionals involved. Feel free to call me right away, at 1-778-789-1496, if you feel stuck in your investigation. Or email me your questions dementiasolutions@gmail.com.

Karen 🙂

Karen Tyrell, CDP, CPCA
Personalized Dementia Solutions

www.DementiaSolutions.ca