During National Substance Use Prevention Month, I am reminded that prevention can begin long before a crisis, and often before a loved one comes home after surgery. 

Through my work at Caregiver Action Network (CAN), I hear from caregivers who manage a loved one’s recovery with little preparation. One of their biggest concerns is managing pain at home.  

That’s one reason why CAN’s Families, Addiction & Mental Health Network partnered with Pacira BioSciences on Ready, Set, Recover. This research and education initiative aims to better understand and support caregivers managing postsurgical pain. Through a survey reaching more than 200 caregivers along with roundtable discussions and individual interviews, the research is clear: caregivers often feel underprepared and overwhelmed as their loved ones return home after surgery. In fact, 78% of caregivers report they are often expected to manage their loved one’s pain at home without sufficient support or information. 

What stood out most is how often caregivers are sent home responsible for managing a loved one’s pain without feeling fully prepared for the job. Receiving discharge instructions does not necessarily mean a caregiver knows how to navigate what comes next. Caregivers are responsible for managing medications, monitoring pain and side effects, supporting mobility, and knowing when to contact the care team, all while balancing their normal responsibilities such as work, childcare, household demands, and daily routines. 

Many also enter recovery with limited familiarity with non-opioid treatment options.  Caregivers shared that they must often seek out information themselves, ask care teams whether non-opioid options are available, or rely on their previous caregiving experience and conversations with others. Several also said that alternatives to opioids are not always presented by the care team, even when a loved one experiences side effects or has a history of addiction. 

Being informed is the first step in prevention. When caregivers understand the full range of pain management options, including non-opioid treatments, they are better prepared to ask questions and have informed conversations with the care team. Seventy-two percent of respondents say they may have considered or requested a different approach if they had received more information before surgery. 

Prevention begins before a crisis. Through the FAM Network, we aim to equip caregivers with clear information and practical resources to better understand the full range of pain management options that work for everyone’s unique circumstances, and can help prevent addiction before it begins. To learn more, read the report linked here.

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