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Patient-centred assessment and management of pain for older adults with dementia in care home and acute settings

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 February 2014

P Newton ,
R Reeves ,
E West  and
P Schofield
P Newton*
Affiliation:
Centre for Applied Health Research, University of Greenwich, London, UK
R Reeves
Affiliation:
Centre for Applied Health Research, University of Greenwich, London, UK
E West
Affiliation:
Centre for Applied Health Research, University of Greenwich, London, UK
P Schofield
Affiliation:
Centre for Applied Health Research, University of Greenwich, London, UK
*
Address for correspondence: Paul Newton, Centre for Applied Health Research, Faculty of Education and Health, University of Greenwich, Avery Hill Road, London SE9 2UG, UK. Email: P.D.Newton@gre.ac.uk
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Summary

Evidence suggests that there is a greater prevalence of pain, particularly chronic pain, in the older than in the younger population. This review looks at how dementia affects older people's ability to report pain, and indicates that pain is poorly assessed and managed in people living with dementia, in particular in care and acute settings. The review also reports findings from two recent studies looking at ways of improving the assessment and management of pain in acute settings. Multi-dimensional, patient-centred approaches to assessing and managing pain in those living with dementia are required, and future research should focus on innovative and practical approaches that can be applied in care home and acute settings.

Keywords

ageingpaindementiahospitalscare homes

Information

Type
Review Article
Information
Reviews in Clinical Gerontology , Volume 24 , Issue 2 , May 2014 , pp. 139 - 144
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

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