Description

Whether patients are cognitively intact and able to quantify their pain and communicate without difficulty, or in end-stage dementia with severely limited verbal ability, the presence and severity of pain can be determined using a variety of tools found in the Try This series. This video includes demonstrations of how to assess for pain in any older adult, and to reassess to determine the effectiveness of interventions, using four distinct tools: the Faces Pain Scale, the Verbal Descriptor Scale, the Numeric Rating Scale, and the Pain Assessment in Advanced Dementia Scale (PAINAD). In this program, interdisciplinary team members also develop a care plan to address chronic pain in a patient with severe arthritis and a history of joint replacement, and family members who have discouraged use of medication for fear addiction might result.