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Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
Pain assessment in people with dementia
1University of Florida College of Nursing in Gainesville, USA. ahorgas@ufl.edu
Abstract:
Pain in older adults is very often undertreated, and it may be especially so in older adults with severe dementia. Changes in a patient's ability to communicate verbally present special challenges in treating pain, and unrelieved pain can have serious consequences, including declines in physical function and diminished appetite. The Pain Assessment in Advanced Dementia (PAINAD) scale has been designed to assess pain in this population by looking at five specific indicators: breathing, vocalization, facial expression, body language, and consolability. A trained nurse or other health care worker can use the scale in less than five minutes of observation. For an online video showing nurses using the PAINAD scale and other pain-assessment tools, go to http://links.lww.com/A251.
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