Pain management in older adults.
Pain is a common complaint of older adults. Persistent pain has a significant negative impact on elderly individuals' sense of well being, physical function, and quality of life. Increasing age and cognitive impairment are risk factors for undertreatment of persistent pain. Safe and effective therapy is available for pain syndromes that commonly affect older adults. Recognition of failure of health providers to appropriately assess and manage persistent pain has led to the recent development and adoption of regulatory guidelines for the implementation of effective pain management programs.
Schilling
Margo L
ML
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa, 200 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City 52242, USA. margo-schilling@uiowa.edu
D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D059408:Pain Management; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000523:psychology*