The assessment and management of pain among older people in care homes: current status and future directions.
Pain is highlighted as a significant, yet neglected problem among older people, particularly in long-term care settings. The effects of inadequate assessment and treatment of pain among older people may lead to multiple problems. Problems arise due to cognitive impairment of clients and inadequate assessment by healthcare professionals. Analgesics are under-used and there is a need for improved education of both healthcare professionals and older people regarding attitudes to pain and ageing. Research is needed into the prevalence of pain among older people in United Kingdom (UK) care homes, how best to further educate healthcare professionals regarding pain management and how to enable older people to be facilitative partners in this process.
Cowan
David T
DT
Ageing and Health Section, Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery, King's College London, James Clerk Maxwell Building, 57 Waterloo Road, London SE1 8WA, UK. david.t.cowan@kcl.ac.uk
Fitzpatrick
Joanne M
JM
Roberts
Julia D
JD
While
Alison E
AE
Baldwin
Julie
J
D000368:Aged; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D004363:Drug Utilization; D005544:Forecasting; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D005851:Geriatric Nursing / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000379:methods*; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D009735:Nursing Homes; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D059408:Pain Management; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D010358:Patient Participation; D015995:Prevalence; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
D000700:Analgesics