What specific issues may arise when dealing with pain at the end of life?
From my clinical experience, family members may inadvertently create barriers to good care at the end of life. So many uninformed concerns exist about opioids and addiction; there is an enormous need to educate the public on what substance abuse is, and is not. So often family members are not ready to emotionally accept that their loved one is facing the end of life. Hospice can be such a great place to turn to answer these questions and help deal with these issues; I have seen that both professionally and personally. It is so difficult for a caregiver to watch a loved one suffer while dying; having a good practitioner to alleviate pain and other symptoms can be such an act of compassion. But a fear of hospice does still exist for many, so hospice services are not accessed as often as they should be. Q: One of your recent e-newsletters focused on “looking ahead” in pain management. But if you look back, what strides do you see that has been made in this field? A: The year 2000 was a fa
