[Deficiencies in treating pain of elderly people suffering from a severe cognitive impairment].
The objective of this study was to verify if the provision of care aimed at reducing pain was identical between elderly people suffering from a server cognitive distortion and other elderly people. The sample, taken from a two-tiered survey, was composed of 352 elderly people living in 34 retirement homes or other similar establishments housing the elderly. We categorised the residents into 2 groups: Group I was comprised of those who had a complete loss of physical autonomy, and Group II contained all of the others. Within these two groups, we compared four types of medicine of which the prescription was given at the request of the patient following a complaint, and four types of medicine prescribed as a result of the analysis of biological tests and screening and not as a result of a complaint from the patient. The results showed that the elderly people having a severe cognitive impairment received significantly less medication aimed at reducing pain than the other elderly people. This difference is not recognised when the medication is prescribed as a result of a need noted due to a biological check-up and analysis.
Cabayé-Borgès Da Silva
G
G
Médecin conseil, échelon local du service médical du Var, 42, rue Emile-Ollivier, BP 1405, F-83056 Toulon cedex, France.
Iahns
P
P
Mabriez
J C
JC
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009735:Nursing Homes; D059408:Pain Management; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D016896:Treatment Outcome