title: Pain management.
abstract: Pain is a common problem encountered among elderly people in subacute and long-term care facilities. Pain often is underestimated and undertreated in these settings. Most pain problems can be improved by careful assessment and careful use of analgesic drugs and nondrug strategies. Subacute care and other long-term care facilities often present unique challenges to pain management. Clinicians who care for patients in these settings must help to establish a plan of care that is reasonable for the given resources and skills often available in these settings. Clinicians have an obligation to improve comfort and dignity for these patients, especially those near the end of life.
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California 90095-1687, USA. ferrellb@ucla.edu
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Ferrell
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D010146:Pain / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D059408:Pain Management; D010147:Pain Measurement
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics