Ways to Ease Pain While Aging

Aging baby boomers are finding they are experiencing more aches and pains than when they were younger.

Aging baby boomers are finding they are experiencing more aches and pains than when they were younger.  It takes longer to recover from physical exercise, heal after an injury, or recover from a serious illness.  Pain management is becoming a priority for those who are in the middle age years.  You may be experiencing symptoms of arthritis, or other chronic pain.  Your health care provider is required to ask patients about pain levels and the intensity of their pain.  Treatment is then determined with feedback from the patient. 

Pain is more than just an uncomfortable feeling or sensation in your body.  Pain will keep you from healing properly after surgery and have a huge impact on your quality of life.  Managing pain is important if you want to preserve a good quality of life.  Someone other than the patient decided many of the decisions on pain management.  The patient did not have any input on the intensity of the pain and how much they could tolerate. 

New federal standards now require health care professionals to ask about the pain level and the intensity of the pain before they decide how to treat their pain.  If pain management is not done on an individual basis from the beginning of treatment to discharge, a hospital, clinic, or nursing home can lose their accreditation.

Health Check Careful thought should be given before starting on any regiment of human growth hormone therapy. A good-looking body may not be the answer to healthy aging. Regular Doctor Visits-Important for Healthy Aging Aging boomers trying to stay healthy and active are making more trips to the doctor. They are not going for treatment, but for preventive measures to stay healthy and vital, as they grow older.

Now as doctors and professionals check blood pressure, oxygen levels, and other vital signs, they also are required to ask about pain levels.  Patients are encouraged to rate their pain level on a scale of one to ten.  Zero is no pain and ten is a pain that would be sending you to an emergency room.  People have a different tolerance for pain so each individual needs to help their doctor discover where their pain level is on the scale.  The patient and the doctor should work together to control the pain a patient can tolerate and when steps need to be taken to ease the pain.  The patient is allowed to feel in control of their pain.  Many patients are allowed to give pain relievers, as they are needed through an IV drip.  Pressing a button will give a bit more pain reliever and will allow them to stay on top of their pain.  Pain does not build up during dosages and is more controllable. 

Pharmaceutical companies have spent considerable time researching pain management.  They are realizing the importance of managing pain and are developing patches and other means of delivering pain relief and give safer and more precise delivery methods.  As a patient, you have a right to have your pain managed and you can hold the hospital, staff, and your doctor responsible for easing your pain.

Doctors recognize that pain can prevent successful recovery form disease, illness, or surgery.   It can have a negative effect on the quality of your life.  They are making pain management a real priority in patient care.  Relieving pain will help you physically as well as mentally.  Pain management is an important part of healthy aging.

Healthy Aging Issues Today

07/03/2008
Free book deals with loss, aging (Baltimore Sun)
The county Department of Aging, with Gilchrist Center for Hospice Care, has published The Courage to Move Forward , a free book designed to help people learn strategies for coping with loss.

Free book deals with loss, aging (Baltimore Sun)

07/03/2008
Aging agencies await news on funding (The Tribune-Democrat)
SOMERSET – While about 100 seniors wait for services to help them stay independent, administrators for Area Agencies on Aging still need news on whether the state’s budget will ease waiting lists for in-home care.

Aging agencies await news on funding (The Tribune-Democrat)

07/03/2008
Commission on Aging campus may be smoke-free (The Morning Sun)
When the newly constructed Commission on Aging facility opens this fall, it may be a smoke-free campus. The smoking ban will be discussed by the Isabella County Board of Commissioners at anAugust meeting.

Commission on Aging campus may be smoke-free (The Morning Sun)

07/03/2008
Aging agencies await news on funding (The Tribune-Democrat)
SOMERSET – While about 100 seniors wait for services to help them stay independent, administrators for Area Agencies on Aging still need news on whether the state’s budget will ease waiting lists for in-home care.

Aging agencies await news on funding (The Tribune-Democrat)

07/03/2008
Commission on Aging campus may be smoke-free (The Morning Sun)
When the newly constructed Commission on Aging facility opens this fall, it may be a smoke-free campus. The smoking ban will be discussed by the Isabella County Board of Commissioners at anAugust meeting.

Commission on Aging campus may be smoke-free (The Morning Sun)

07/03/2008
Issues of adult aging, swim classes for valley kids topics at KRVC (Kern Valley Sun)
Last week’s Kern River Valley Collaborative meeting, chaired by Melody Batelaan of Adult and Aging Services, featured two informative presentations. The first was given by Forest Hagood, a Certified Senior Advisor. Hagood has been an advocate for seniors in Kern County for a number of years.

Issues of adult aging, swim classes for valley kids topics at KRVC (Kern Valley Sun)

07/04/2008
Anonymous donor funds half-year of Council on Aging director position (Shirley Oracle)
SHIRLEY -- The Council on Aging (COA) director's position that Annual Town Meeting voters funded for half a year will be funded for a full year, thanks to an anonymous gift.

Anonymous donor funds half-year of Council on Aging director position (Shirley Oracle)

07/03/2008
Aging agencies await news on funding (The Tribune-Democrat)
SOMERSET – While about 100 seniors wait for services to help them stay independent, administrators for Area Agencies on Aging still need news on whether the state’s budget will ease waiting lists for in-home care.

Aging agencies await news on funding (The Tribune-Democrat)