The pivotal role of nurses in pain management: impacts of a revised definition of pain and review of opioid analgesia practice for the future
Pain assessment is a critical component of optimum nursing care to enable effective pain management.1 Introduction Advances in the understanding of pain mechanisms and management, as well as increasing concerns regarding an opioid crisis in the developed world, have brought the importance of accurate, valid and reliable pain assessments into focus for the future. The […]
Pain management for patients with dementia: Identification and management
The Australian Bureau of Statistics1 reports that in 2018 there were 219,000 Australians with dementia – of which 43% experienced chronic pain that may have been difficult to recognise and treat. The incidence is high in this population due to comorbidities and age, whilst cognitive impairment may result in a reduced ability to report pain.2 […]
Pain management for people with dementia
The purpose of this article is to shed some light on the importance of pain management, to examine major barriers and make some recommendations to improve the pain management in older generations with dementia. Pain management in older adults with dementia is paramount. The impact of pain on physical, psychological, social and spiritual components is […]