title: Assessment of pain in the cognitively impaired older adult in long-term care.
abstract: This study's objectives were twofold: to identify pain assessment methods used by caregivers of cognitively impaired older adults in long-term care, and to identify medications ordered and administered to them. Over 60% of RNs, with fewer LPNs and CNAs, used formal pain assessment tools. Patient records identified that 77.5% of cognitively impaired patients had a regularly ordered pain medication and 91% had a PRN pain medication order. Thirty percent of patients received at least one PRN medication in a 1-week period. No one diagnosis was significantly associated with a greater tendency for PRN pain medications to be administered, with cancer a possible exception. Eighty-two percent of cognitively impaired patients had a PRN order for acetaminophen. Using minimum data set (MDS) criteria, this study found that patients with greater communication impairments received fewer pain medications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, University of Cincinnati, Raymond Walter's College, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Patricia M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Mezinskis
authors.forename: Ann W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.forename: Ann Schmidt
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Luggen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017028:Caregivers; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D024802:Nurse's Role; D010146:Pain / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010147:Pain Measurement
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics