Pain assessment in elders: practical tips

The number of painful conditions and diseases increase as elders live longer. Pain can alter physical functioning and quality of life, and pain assessment in this unique population is a special challenge because pain can affect cognitive status, mood, and function. When the elder presents with pain, the practitioner must often deal with vague comments, reluctance to describe pain, and degrees of cognitive impairment. This article provides information on how to address barriers to pain assessment and current research that will help the practitioner devise strategies to obtain the data for an accurate and valid pain assessment.