Fentanyl Pill
Recently, a friend asked me this question: “I was wondering if it is okay to give my elderly mother a Fentanyl Pill (imitation) Pill or Patch in our nursing home?” She explained that she had been given this drug for chronic back pain. After some discussion with her doctor, she understands that the drug is appropriate for occasional use by a non-narcotic dependent person in her care.
So, I asked her if it would be okay for her if I gave her the drug in our home on an occasional basis. Her answer was a clear no! According to her, once a person becomes addicted to a narcotic such as this; it becomes almost impossible to stop using the drug. She stated that even after several months of being “on medication” she could not get off of it.
My response to her was, “How long has it been since you’ve used Narcotics?” Her answer was, “Not since last September.” With the use of my common sense approach, I would expect my friend to become addicted to this drug in less than one year. Therefore, this is indeed a problem in nursing home care.
Is the Fentanyl Pill Or Patch In Nursing Home?
However, when we talk about long term abuse of a narcotic such as this; that is a whole different story. Many people become addicted to these drugs through casual usage or through abuse. One such case that I recently read about involved an individual who began to smoke crack cocaine every day following a car accident. Upon becoming addicted, the individual suffered liver failure and later died at his home from asphyxiation. Apparently, the crack cocaine was his only source of comfort during the days when he couldn’t feel his body due to his accident.
In my professional opinion, regardless of the form in which the drug is abused or consumed, it is always illogical to treat drugs such as this as a recreational activity. Certainly, drug abuse is a growing issue throughout the country and the world. Drug addiction often starts out as a hobby that involves illegal drug use for the purpose of recreation. Unfortunately, as time progresses, the user begins to use the drug for non-ritualistic purposes. This is when the drug becomes more difficult to control and can cause serious problems within the user’s life. When considering an ongoing or chronic addiction to any form of narcotic, the smart option would be to seek rehabilitation from a reputable drug treatment center.
The cost of rehabilitation at a reputable rehab center would most likely be far more than paying a couple bucks for a few cigarettes on the side. However, if you are addicted to a narcotic and are facing possible death, then you must consider the expense of rehabilitation. Why take a chance on ending up dead in a nursing home? I’m sorry, but as a professional nursing home expert, I wouldn’t play that card – no matter how tempting I think it may seem.