Assessment of Pain PDF

Many older adults have condi ons associated with chronic pain Physiological changes of aging a(ect percep on of pain Pain and the Older Evidence shows: Adult Pain is under detected and poorly managed Cogni ve impairment c...

Many older adults have condi ons associated with chronic pain Physiological changes of aging a(ect percep on of pain Pain and the Older Evidence shows: Adult Pain is under detected and poorly managed Cogni ve impairment contributes to the pa ent’s inability to report pain There are no absolute physical assessments or lab tests to detect the presence of pain  Barriers to Pain Management: Older Adult Inadequate knowledge of healthcare providers ◦ Pain is a natural outcome of aging ◦ Pain percep on or sensi vity decreases with age ◦ Pa ents will report more pain as they age. ◦ If pain is not reported, it must mean he/she does not have pain ◦ If pa ent appears to be occupied, sleeping, or distracted, he/she must not have pain. ◦ Poten al side e(ects of opioids make them too dangerous to use. ◦ Fear of opioid dependence ◦ Pa ents with cogni ve impairments do not feel pain and/or their reports of pain are not reliable. **Undertreated pain is serious ◦ May lead to increased anxiety with acute pain and depression with chronic pain  Pain Management: Older Adult Pain can poten ally cause serious impairment in func onal status ◦ How can it impact mobility, ADLs, social ac vi es, ac vity tolerance? Main goal is to maximize func on and quality of life by minimizing pain whenever possible REMEMBER: Absence of a par cular facial expression or behavior does not necessarily indicate that the individual does not have pain There is no such thing as “normal” pain – it is individual to each pa ent ASKING about pain at regular and frequent intervals is an important assessment strategy