Assessment and management of pain in persons with dementia

World-wide 46.8 million individuals were living with dementia in 2015 representing $818 billion in costs.1 The number of people diagnosed with dementia is projected to reach 131.5 million by 2050.1 Since the risk of developing a painful condition increases in the older adult population,1 the numbers of people with both pain and dementia will increase,2 presenting a significant public health and economic concern.1 Pain in persons with dementia can be challenging to adequately measure,3 particularly as verbal and behavioral expressions of chronic pain may be diminished or absent despite the presence of pain.
Source: Geriatric Nursing - Category: Nursing Authors: Source Type: research