10 | SUNDAY, MARCH 19, 2023
HEALTH&MEDICINE
ARIZONA DAILY SUN
HOW TO UNCOVER AND ACKNOWLEDGE PAIN IN
SENIORS WITH DEMENTIA CINDY HARRIS
Owner of Comfort Keepers®
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lthough dementia patients experience severe or chronic pain, many studies indicate that they regularly receive fewer analgesics than healthy senior adults. This can primarily be attributed to the fact that while a healthy senior can verbalize pain and discomfort, dementia patients, especially those in the late stages, cannot. Pain reporting is dependent on memory and verbal capacity; dementia patients generally have difficulty with both and cannot report when they are experiencing pain. Moreover, if they can report their pain and discomfort,
they may not be able to fully understand the pain scales presented by doctors, so the self-report may be inaccurate. An additional factor making pain difficult to identify in the elderly in general is that the symptoms may not be the same as in a younger person. For seniors with dementia, it is also not uncommon for the effects of pain to be erroneously identified as symptoms of dementia. Pain may increase aggression and depression and cause cognitive problems like lack of focus. Unfortunately, if left untreated, pain can cause mental and functional decline and reduce mobility. Unidentified pain can also be an indication of a condition
or infection that needs immediate treatment, so there is a risk the dementia sufferer can experience complications from untreated illnesses.
PAIN INDICATORS
Dementia patients can experience all types of pain ranging from musculoskeletal (joints and bones) and visceral (headaches, intestinal obstructions, peritonitis, appendicitis, ulcers) genito-urinary (urinary tract infections) and dental. No matter what the source of the pain is, however, there are some general cues the person may give that can help family and caregivers identify that the person is
experiencing pain. Our caregivers, those special people we refer to as Comfort Keepers®, can help families of seniors with dementia by notifying them when some of these pain indicators are present. Our Comfort Keepers are specially trained to interact with dementia patients and report physical or behavioral changes to their supervisor and to family. Some of the changes our Comfort Keepers look for as indicators of pain include the following: Facial expressions: Dementia patients in pain may squint or close their eyes and furrow their brows when they feel pain.
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For seniors with dementia, it is also not uncommon for the effects of pain to be erroneously identified as symptoms of dementia. Pain may increase aggression and depression and cause cognitive problems like lack of focus. Unfortunately, if left untreated, pain can cause mental and functional decline and reduce mobility.
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