Breaking Discovery on Pain Management

In a recent study conducted by The New England Journal of Medicine, doctors found that immediate pain management on cancer patients led to a happier, more mobile, and slightly longer life. Results showed that patients lived several months longer than those without constant pain treatment. Doctors studied 151 patients over a three year period. 

"We thought it made sense to start them at the time of diagnosis. And we were thrilled to see a huge impact," explained Dr. Jennifer S. Temel, an oncologist and author of the paper. Results confirmed that pain control improves outcomes. Even if a person's health condition is less serious, an attentive personal caregiver can alert the case manager if pain control issues need attention.  READ MORE »

Dear Katy - If a professional caregiver is hired, do I need to sign a contract that states the minimum amount of hours that are required?  K.M., Livermore, CA

Dear K.M. - Not all agencies require a contract. Contracts are generally created to benefit the agency, not the consumer. If you choose to sign a contract, study the contract very closely and read the details. If an agency requires a minimum number of days per week or month, continue your research into other options. Many agencies can be used "as needed" and wouldn't require any long term commitment.

Dear Katy - What are the benefits when caring for a client in the hospital when compared to caring for a client in his or her home?  A.H., Sandy, UT

Dear A.H. - Elders who have professional caregivers at the hospital with them report greater satisfaction during their stay. The more active the companion is in asking questions, writing instructions, scheduling appointments, or helping with transportation, the more favorable the client's experience. Caring for a client at home creates a comfortable setting where caregivers can continue to provide the essential non-medical treatments.
 (Submit your questions to kdougherty@professionalhc.com. Follow her on twitter.)

Available at Amazon.com. Topics covered: pain control, religious healings, patient testimonials, personal stories, pain treatments, cultural differences, history of pain, medical advices, the power of the mind, how to find help, and more.

Excerpt from Amazon.com Review: "In The Pain Chronicles Melanie Thernstrom skillfully unravels a profound medical mystery: what is chronic pain, where does it come from and does it ever go away? In the book Thernstrom is both doctor and patient, at times skillfully eliciting case histories from fellow sufferers, and then pivoting and turning her curious and interrogative eye on their doctors. But it is her own, deeply intimate, struggle with pain that provides the passionate thread that pulls together her subject in all its nervous vagaries. Here is pain as psychic drama, as religious quest, as neurological sabotage. Here is pain in a succession of doctors' waiting rooms. Here are the drug combinations that detour around pain, but never entirely vanquish it. " --Deborah A. Baker
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Vol. 2, No. 9

Water Based Pillows
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