‘Dementia link to sudden low blood pressure and dizziness’
October 13, 2024
The Mail Online reported on a really relevant and very important article on dementia.
“Ann Pascoe’s husband Andrew had always been a gentle, mild-mannered man. So when he was diagnosed with dementia seven years ago, she expected him to be forgetful and become more dependent – what she was not ready for were his aggressive outbursts.”
‘It was incredibly upsetting and I was permanently walking on eggshells but thought that this must just be part of the dementia, I was getting to the stage where I felt I couldn’t cope any more’ she said.
Then, last August, Andrew had fainted at the bus stop in the village near where the couple live in Helmsdale, Scotland.
On examination the doctor diagnosed Andrew with neuropathic pain in his legs and he asked if Ann would keep a ‘pain diary’ for two weeks.
Ann’s diary showed that Andrew was in considerable pain a lot of the time and the doctor prescribed him Gabapentin, an epilepsy drug which interrupts the transmission of pain signals in the brain.
According to a recent review in the journal Clinical Intervention In Ageing the major cause of aggression and agitation is untreated pain, however many patients are given inappropriate sedation.
800,000 people in this country have dementia and they tend to be older and therefore more prone to aches and pains.
‘It is vitally important that care professionals have the tools and training to meet the complex needs of people with dementia.’
Can you imagine what it would be like to be in pain but not have the ability to express yourself?
Nurses and carers need to really observe and assess if a person with dementia is in pain.
Our Pain Care Plan incorporates a recognised and effective assessment tool for assessing pain in a person who cannot tell you they are in pain. Click here to buy it.
Where it is impossible to assess the patient or residents level of pain, due to their condition, would it not be a lesser evil to try pain relief?
What you think?
To read the full article Click here Mail Online