September is Pain Awareness Month. Around 50 million people in the U.S. experience chronic pain, so your mom’s not alone. Your family must rally around and ensure her personal care needs are never ignored when her pain flares up. Learn these chronic pain facts to understand how it’s affecting your mom’s life.

8% of Adults Experience Severe Chronic Pain

Many adults experience pain each day. Of those, 8% experience severe chronic pain that impacts their daily routines and ability to care for themselves. Severe chronic pain impacts confidence and makes completing IADLs and even ADLs hard. For some, the pain leads to depression and hopelessness.

Something as simple as washing your hair can be impossible when you have chronic pain. It’s important to talk to your mom about what she can and cannot do and make sure she has personal care at home to help with the personal care tasks she cannot do independently.

People With Chronic Pain Are More Likely to Experience Anxiety and Depression

One study found that people with chronic pain are 400% more likely to develop anxiety or depression. Pain management is the best way to avoid these mental health issues, but finding suitable pain management options can take time.

Some people respond well to over-the-counter pain medications, but others find heating pads, ice packs, or physical therapy work better. Once pain is managed, it’s also important to address mental health. Anxiety and depression are not something to ignore.

Pain is the Leading Cause of Disability

According to the National Pain Advocacy Center, pain is the leading cause of disability. Pain can keep people from taking care of themselves and impacts their ability to take care of their homes.

Almost Three Out of Four People With Chronic Pain Have Dealt With the Pain for 10+ Years

Of those with chronic pain, 74% have been dealing with that pain for at least a decade. Three out of ten people have dealt with their pain for at least 20 years.

People With Chronic Pain Are More Likely to Experience Insomnia

When chronic pain is present, insomnia is more likely. One study found that half of all people who experience chronic pain have difficulty falling or staying asleep. When your mom struggles with sleep, her fall risk increases. She shouldn’t be showering on her own. She needs someone to hold her while stepping in and out of the shower stall or bathtub.

When your mom experiences chronic pain, it’s essential to have support in place for her personal care needs. She’ll need help getting dressed, brushing and flossing her teeth, and washing her body and hair. Talk to a specialist in personal care at home to make the necessary arrangements.

Aviva In-Home Care provides compassionate and skilled in-home care. We are the Bay Area’s premier provider of in-home care services.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring professional Personal Care at Home services in Burlingame, CA, call the caring staff at Aviva In-Home Care. Call today: (415) 795-2203

Sources:

https://uspainfoundation.org/painawarenessmonth/

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6736a2.htm

https://nationalpain.org/fast-facts-about-pain

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Evan Loevner

CEO at Aviva In-Home Care

As a former hospital administrator, I launched Aviva with the goal of having a more focused, direct impact on the delivery of care than I could ever accomplish within a hospital setting. For me, the joy of running an organization like Aviva In-Home Care is having the ability to positively improve the lives of individuals needing customized care. As a passionate Bay Area resident, I know that many local seniors can benefit from new approaches to in-home care, that will bring them more connection to the community, and provide families with a greater sense of comfort that their loved one is indeed matched with an ideal caregiver.

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