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She uses opioids for the pain but this requires her to physically visit a doctor every month. She still lives alone and refuses to go to any kind of senior home, as she enjoys smoking cigarettes and this would be denied her. She also has a dog she doesn't want to give up.


The trips to the doctor are almost becoming too much. I am mostly just concerned with her being as pain-free as possible, regardless of how close to end-of-life she is (hard to tell). She's still fairly lucid.


Does anyone know other ways to get pain meds for a house-bound elder? Or is time for hospice with in-home pain treatment? I work as a teacher full-time and can't really provide the care I believe she needs.

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Talk with her doctor about palliative care options - focuses on comfort, not curing disease, not end-of-life - to manage her pain. Also ask doctor his opinion about how long mom most likely has to live and if hospice is an option. Most hospice is for folks with an expected lifespan of less than 6 months (depends on the county/state/province/country laws).
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Reply to Taarna
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I didn’t see this post until now but if your mom doesn’t qualify for hospice, see if you have palliative care available in your area. Their providers can prescribe pain medication and will come to her home.
They were able to prescribe a patch for my husband when it was necessary, but hopefully your mom can be maintained on what she currently takes.
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Reply to MidwestOT
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Sometimes a cigarette and our pup is all we need in life. The pain management system causes as much pain as it relieves.
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Reply to Mjustice98
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ElizabethAR37 Mar 2, 2025
I respectfully disagree. It's inconvenient and humiliating at times--and can make one feel like a criminal--but I'm glad there is at least a "system" with all its flaws. But then I never smoked and am a lifelong cat-mom. LOL.
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Pain meds shouldn’t require a doctor’s visit every time. My scoliosis and marfan count as ‘serious’ rather than ‘severe’ (cob angles 55 thoracic, 52 lumbar), which should mean something to you, and my codeine scripts last me 3 months. I can phone for repeat scripts. The GP makes an authorising phone call to the central gov medical office (the Australian system). My Xrays/ MRIs are very convincing.

If you have no similar option, I would go for hospice to make the drugs available. Tell whatever lies make it possible. The people who make difficult rules don't feel the pain. I also have oxycodone available for real ‘screamers’, very very occasional. I don’t take the drugs around the clock, just when I need them. I’m 77. Please ask anything I might be able to help with. My love to you and your mother.
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LoopyLoo Mar 2, 2025
Many US states, mine included, have made it law that a patient must see their doctor every time they need pain meds. And doctors cannot write an opioid prescription for longer than 30 days each time. Thus, if you need chronic pain management, you have to see the doctor every month.
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isalim7: This is a question for your mother's physician.
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Reply to Llamalover47
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Find a hospice care and talk with them. She may qualify. They often provide care in the patient's home.

Also, I see a resurgence in doctor house calls. So many people are home bound, there are mobile doctors in many communities!

We live just outside of the Phoenix, AZ area, and my husband has had a nurse practitioner for 2 years now that comes to the home once a month.
They also order labwork (blood draws) and a lab technician comes to the house.
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Reply to CaringWifeAZ
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You need home health care. They come to your home for any needs. I use this kind of health care for my MIL of 98. Medicare pays totally.
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Hospice requires a doctors opinion that the person will die naturally in 6 months or less, and ppl don’t normally die of scoliosis alone.
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ElizabethAR37 Mar 2, 2025
Nope, but sometimes we wish for a timely Final Exit! Scoliosis, degenerative disc disease and osteoarthritis here at 88 Y/O. My doctor can refill my Tylenol #3 by phone for 28 days at a time. I am required to see her and submit a urine sample every 6 months, which is probably among the more reasonable state edicts. I'm on a mandatory "pain management contract". I had no choice in the matter--follow orders or suffer.

IMO, many states have lost their minds in dealing with the "opioid crisis". Some of the laws are beyond ridiculous. What's the point of keeping elders (and others in daily, life limiting pain) "safe" if they are living in misery? And don't get me started on "integrative therapies" (I've tried most.) The problem never was older medical patients in serious pain who need their medication and use it responsibly, but rather recreational drug abusers in their 20s-30s and street drug addicts, who have now largely switched from heroin to cheaper, much-stronger fentanyl.
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My mom (mid 90s) also was experiencing a lot of pain...severe back and shoulder issues, arthritis, etc. During one hospitalization, she started on an opiod. After getting home, this meant monthly visits to a pain clinic in order to continue the opiod. She also got some steriods shots in her back...first 1 or 2 seemed to help, not so much after that. I even asked her primary if he could take over prescribing the opiod (it was a low dose)...answer no. We tried Palliative Care...the person recommended a pain patch but that had to be prescribed by the pain clinic so the visits continued. A couple times she had to take a random drug test...one time she was sitting there for about 4 hours to try to get an adequate sample. Even as her pain continued, they didn't want to increase her dosage due to her age. It was hard to see her in daily pain but she rarely complained. I understand people abuse opiods but I feel its horrible to require an elderly person with limited mobility to come in for monthly visits.

My mother was on hospice for a short time near the end. They will prescribe and provide pain meds (morphine seems the common one). How often they visit depends on the patients condition. Not knowing your mom's medical conditions, it's hard to say if she would qualify. You could see what her doctor says...but I would suggest researching hospices and asking one to evaluate her. When I was noticing declines with my mom (decreased appitite, sleeping even more) I asked her doctor about hospice...he said "we are not there yet". But seems we were there and by waiting we missed out on months of support which could have helped both me and my mom.
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Reply to gnyg58
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Pain management usually requires monthly visits in the office. Depending on the state your in, some allow video chat every other month which lessons the stress. Your mother would need laptop or cellphone savvy to enable this. Those moving from primary care management to a pain specialist benefit as this group offers a number of procedures reducing discomfort in their office, and often assign physical therapy. You could check around to locate a management team in your mother's neighborhood which could also allow her to visit via short mobility scooter trip.
Your mother's primary care doctor & pain mgt team could then make the palliative, assisted living or hospice care needs suggestions as they arise.

I personally know many 71 to 85 year olds happily living in 55 & over or Age in Place communities. They all have kept their pets and if moms dog is a support pet there is no monthly pet fee or deposit.

Good luck!
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Reply to Comanche4
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This is a discussion for you and mom to have with the doctor, because really how could a forum of strangers do anything that needs to be done.
So you go next visit with mom and you tell doctor you are close to being last visit she can get in for, and what are the next steps. Is it palliative care? Often if that's available there is access to good pain meds and visits in the home.
Is it hospice, and exactly what is the prognosis here.

If she is living alone this is now a problem as well to be addressed? At the least cameras set up for smoking in bed safety?

I wish you the very best. I am so sorry. This is dreadful pain, and must be adddressed.
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Reply to AlvaDeer
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If you think that she is near death or that is even a remote possibility, take her to the doctor to do an assessment. If he thinks hospice is warranted, it can be set up. However, the family are still the primary care givers. Hospice will aid in bathing a couple of times a week, have nurses visit once or twice a week, and you will have access to a chaplain and a social worker. Pain meds, if required, will be provided.
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