Patches for pain relief

scattysue

Registered User
Aug 20, 2015
65
0
My sister, still living independently with Alzheimers -carers 4 times daily and 3 days a week at day care (as well as my own contribution to her care - I live about 30 miles from her)
Recently there have been changes in the carers attending my sister and I have found that some of them are leaving her pain killers ( prescribed 2 co-codamol four times a day) out for her with a note of when she should take them. This is totally unsuitable for K as she does not remember that the tablets have been left out and does not remember to take them. I have spoken to the home care manager about my concerns, especially when I found 8 tablets in K's spectacle case about 10 days ago. K's dossett box is kept in a med safe and carers should supervise the actual taking of the prescribed medication at the correct time of day. This seems to be causing an increasing problem.
I heard recently that pain patches are useful for some sufferers of chronic pain and wondered if anyone on the forum has had experience of using them with their PWD.
Any advice or information will be much appreciated - thank you
 

nae sporran

Registered User
Oct 29, 2014
9,213
0
Bristol
Sorry your sister's carers are not as fastidious as they should be, Scattysue. There should be a MARRS chart to record the painkillers and when they are taken.
As for pain patches, my partner who has vascular dementia and osteoarthritis in her lower back has been prescribed Butec morphine patches just a couple of weeks ago. They have made a huge difference to her mobility and have reduced her pain so much she only needs paracetamol very occasionally, though they do make her a bit more sleepy. I have persuaded the carers to change the patch weekly and to put it on the chart, but they are fairly easy to do if you would rather do it yourself.
 

scattysue

Registered User
Aug 20, 2015
65
0
Sorry your sister's carers are not as fastidious as they should be, Scattysue. There should be a MARRS chart to record the painkillers and when they are taken.
As for pain patches, my partner who has vascular dementia and osteoarthritis in her lower back has been prescribed Butec morphine patches just a couple of weeks ago. They have made a huge difference to her mobility and have reduced her pain so much she only needs paracetamol very occasionally, though they do make her a bit more sleepy. I have persuaded the carers to change the patch weekly and to put it on the chart, but they are fairly easy to do if you would rather do it yourself.
Thanks for the speedy reply nae sporran, that is very helpful. I am seeing K's GP next week and will ask his advice re the use of patches such as the ones you mention. I am not sure if he would consider K in need of morphine at the moment and wonder if pain patches containing other painkillers are available.
Thanks again for your input.