If your loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, then you’re well aware that both your loved one have difficult journey ahead. One challenge you’ll face as your loved one begins showing symptoms of the later stages of Alzheimer’s diseases is the challenge of identifying those non-verbal cues that help you know when your loved one’s experiencing agitation and pain. These cues can be familiar gestures that you easily recognize or they can be unintelligible noises and even nonverbal movements that you’ll need to incorporate into your pain-recognition vocabulary.
The American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine provides resources for those who wish to improve in their ability to identify agitation and pain in their loved ones. An article from their summer of 2008 publication provides a list of nonverbal cues identified as common pain behaviors in cognitively impaired adults. Such behaviors include specific facial movements such as rapid eye blinking, a look of fright, or a slight frown or grimace. Bodily cues include a rigid stance or a sudden change in gait, pacing, rocking, or fidgeting. Other behaviors that indicate pain include verbal cues such as sighs, moaning, or asking for help. Finally, changes in routine, changes in sleep patterns, or even changes in eating habits can all indicate agitation and pain.
By paying attention to these non-verbal cues, you can help reduce the amount of pain experienced by your loved one. Consequently, you make a tremendous difference in both you and your loved one’s quality of life.
