September is National Pain Awareness Month which started in 2001 when 80 organizations came together to launch the first Pain Awareness Month the following year.
The focus for this initiative is the personal, social, and economic impact of chronic pain.
Is your center prepared to manage pain in a comprehensive, interdisciplinary, non-judgmental manner to ensure the resident’s voice is included in their plan of care?
Who Should Be Involved
The resident’s voice is not always evident in their plan of care, but it is crucial to ensure staff understands what pain means to the resident and how it affects their quality of life.
The resident’s needs and goals as well as the cause, type, and severity of pain are relevant to developing a plan for pain management.
An interdisciplinary approach is vital to adequate management. You should collaborate with the following individuals regularly:
- physicians and other providers
- nurses
- physical/occupational therapists
- social services
- activities staff
- psychological and psychiatric consultants
- pharmacists
- hospice
- palliative care (if applicable)
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Nursing home residents are at high risk for having pain which may affect function, impair mobility, impair mood, or disturb sleep, and diminish quality of life.
It should be noted that while analgesics can reduce pain and enhance the quality of life, they do not necessarily address the underlying cause of pain. It is important to consider treating the underlying cause where possible..jpg?width=2800&height=850&name=Pain%20Management%20(2).jpg)
Resident-Centered Care
An effective pain management process begins prior to admission (pre-admission screening) and continues through discharge process.Non-pharmacological interventions are often overlooked as part of a comprehensive program. They are required from a regulatory perspective and must be included in the resident's plan of care to ensure compliance and effective pain management.
Get Support For Your Center
To ensure compliance and a person-centered approach to pain management, and to help your center avoid an F 697 citation, contact LeaderStat's experienced consulting team.
We can perform on-site or remote medical record reviews of targeted residents who have pain management risks. We'll work with you to identify gaps in documentation and make recommendations for a plan of action as necessary.
Want to learn more? Contact us and we’ll set up a quick phone call to discuss a customized plan.
LeaderStat specializes in direct care staff, interim leadership, executive recruitment, travel nursing and consulting for healthcare organizations nationwide.
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