Expert: Violet Argo RN - 11/2/2005

Question
Regarding pain management, are people fairly receptive to the idea? Do you encounter people that are against pain management?  What are the most common drugs used for PM?
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Followup To
Question -
Does your Hospice service travel to people's homes?

Have you had any negative reactions from family regarding Hospice beliefs & values?

Do you know what the average # of yrs experience nurses have in your field?

Would it be alright to contact you regarding follow up questions?

Thanks! Jennifer


Answer -
Most hospice care is done in the home.

Yes there are some who have negative reactions to hospice since people want all patients saved at all cost. People do not realize people will die regardless of treatments. If the disease process is overwhelming the pt may die. It takes lots of education to teach patients and family that hospice is only there to support them in their decision to have quality of life and not quantity.

PS. In hospice I think the average # of years is abou 5. I have been in hospice 12 years.

Answer
No one likes to be in pain or see their loved ones suffer. Occasionally, there is someone that objects to narcotic use, but if they see the pain is unbearable they want the patient medicated.

Morphine is the most common because it can be used in many forms, and the doses can be titrated rapidly with minimal side effects. We use diferent types of medications for diferent types of pain. Pain is never just treated with narcotics, profecional assessment is needed to determne the type of pain. Nerve pain is not treated with narcotics and for the most part neither is bone pain. The patient may have more than one type of pain and each must be treated individually.