Benefits of Pain Management Education in Long Term Care

The authors of a recent study published in Pain Management Nursing developed an acute and chronic pain management intervention for individuals residing in long-term care settings. The study enrolled professional and certified nursing assistants (CNA) who participated in a intensive training program designed to improve their knowledge of pain management methods. Major barriers and challenges associated with long term care settings that CNAs identified included, "continued concern over residents not willing to take pain medications and the fear of families regarding pain medication side effects, " and "inadequate time to assess pain and inadequate physician knowledge about pain management." The study results indicate that pain management education in long term care facilities can lead to the adoption of practices and potentially have a positive impact on residents' pain conditions.

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Pain among Nursing Home Residents 

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The authors of a recent study published in Pain Management Nursing evaluated the "health-related profile and quality of life of older persons living with and without pain in nursing homes." The study enrolled 535 older persons from 10 nursing homes, of which 359 (74%) experienced pain. The authors found that  "with the exception of the no-pain group, nursing home residents' pain affected both their psychologic health, including happiness, life satisfaction, and depression, and their physical quality of life." The authors conclude that "pain management is a high priority in elderly care; as such, innovative and interdisciplinary strategies are necessary to enhance quality of life particularly for older persons living in nursing homes."

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Palliative Care and an Aging Population

A recent report published in Journal of Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy provided information on the increasing rate of chronic conditions (i.e., dementia) among older adults, and the need for palliative care treatments and programs to address them. The authors cited numerous challenges associated with providing optimal palliative care that required coordinated and targeted collaborations between healthcare professionals, national governments and nongovernmental agencies. The authors found an increasing need for palliative care among older adults because, "chronic pain affects more than 50% of older people in the community and more than 80% of nursing home residents. "

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Telemedicine for Chronic Pain among Older Adults

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In Pain Medicine the authors of a recent study sought to "identify primary care providers' interest in, as well as perceived barriers and facilitators to, using novel telemedicine technologies (e.g., smartphones) for managing chronic non-cancer pain in older adults." The study results indicate that most providers reported limited use of telemedicine, but expressed substantial interest in trying devices such as smartphones to manage chronic non-cancer pain among older patients. Potential barriers include "information overload, lack of mobile device usability among patients and clinicians, liability issues, and cost."

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