Neurosurgeon Eisner:

“Having to endure pain is mean”

A senior citizen in pain

(Bild: Viacheslav Yakobchuk – stock.adobe.com)

Around 80 percent of residents in retirement and nursing homes in Austria suffer from pain. However, according to the Austrian Ombudsman Board, there is no appropriate way of dealing with this. Wilhelm Eisner, neurosurgeon and President of the Austrian Pain Society, describes this as a "very bad" result and speaks of a "structural problem."

The physician was a guest on "ZiB 2" on Thursday evening. In the interview, he agreed with the Austrian Ombudsman Board that there is no appropriate pain management in Austria's retirement and nursing homes. For Eisner, this includes clarification and further monitoring of pain as well as a care plan. In order to implement this, there would need to be more trained staff and, in this context, more study places, as well as clear instructions from doctors.

Doctors not always on site
The President of the Pain Society sees a challenge in the fact that doctors are not always present in nursing homes. Some, for example, visit once a week. If someone was present every day, pain and underlying illnesses could be much better recognized and dealt with. According to the doctor, the medication itself is available and not too expensive.

Wilhelm Eisner, President of the Austrian Pain Society

(Bild: Österreichische Schmerzgesellschaft, Krone KREATIV)

At a press conference on Wednesday, the Austrian Ombudsman Board even said that pain could be avoided in many cases. The team visited 123 facilities in all federal states and spoke to more than 1500 residents. The situation is particularly bad for people who are no longer able to express that they are in pain due to impairments such as dementia.

Women come forward later
According to Eisner, the result is "really bad". It is sad and mean when someone has to endure pain at the end of their life, for example because of a possible dependency on painkillers. According to him, these are used correctly in this country and are more regulated than in the USA, for example, whose "most popular drug" is fentanyl.

There is still some catching up to do in pain treatment. For example, more attention needs to be paid to children and the elderly, but also to both sexes. According to the doctor, women perceive pain more strongly, but also process it better than men.

Among other things, Volkshilfe proposes regular training in pain management for staff in old people's and nursing homes and emergency drug depots that are independent of individuals and are permitted by law. This refers to emergency medication if it is necessary to wait until a doctor is available.