Pain negatively impacts the quality of life of the elderly. Geriatric pain management services are designed to help older people deal with all types of pain.

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Geriatric Pain Management - Health
Promotion for the Elderly
Pain negatively impacts the quality of life of the elderly.
Geriatric pain management services are designed to help
older people deal with all types of pain.
Pain among older adults is usually associated with chronic
and
acute
medical
conditions
such
as
osteoarthritis,
cancer,
surgery, head trauma, hip
fracture, heart disease, and
musculoskeletal disorders.
Effective geriatric pain
management services help the elderly to:
•
•
•
•
Get relief from pain
Maintain the highest level of functioning possible
Enhance the quality of life and independence
Improve mental and physical health
Unmanaged pain or poorly controlled pain impairs
activities of daily living (ADLs), and can cause mood
disturbances, decreased ambulation, and cognitive
alteration. Identifying the root cause of pain is essential for
effective pain management. Barriers to effective
management of pain in older adults include challenges to
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proper pain assessment and underreporting of pain by
patients with dementia or other communication difficulties.
Pain Management in the Elderly
The treatment of pain begins with the assessment of what
instigated the pain, how it can be terminated, and what
management modalities would be most effective for a
particular patient.
A multi-specialty healthcare center would have a
comprehensive approach to pain management with
pharmacotherapy, interventional procedures, physical
rehabilitation, and psychological support. A comprehensive
pain assessment would include a thorough evaluation of
medical history, physical fitness, and diagnostic test results
and imaging studies. The center’s pain management
physicians would then work with other medical specialists
to implement both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic
measures to control the pain based on location, intensity
and other individual conditions.
Treatment offered may include medication, physical
therapy, injections and other therapies such as
• Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)
• Nerve blocks
• Administration of analgesics, NSAIDs, narcotic
medications, muscle relaxants, and anti-convulsants
and antidepressants
• Cold/heat treatments
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• Physical exercises
• Chiropractic care
Established rehabilitation centers provide comprehensive
geriatric pain management services to treat both the sensory
and emotional facets of pain in the elderly. Specialized
geriatric care management services are also offered to
address various challenges associated with aging with indepth assessment programs, care plan development and
implementation, medication management and ongoing care
management. These services are aimed at making daily
living easier for the elderly.
Fall Risk Assessment and Conditioning
In addition to geriatric pain management services,
healthcare centers also offer fall risk assessment and
conditioning programs. Slip and falls in the elderly can lead
to injuries and hip fractures that cause debilitating pain.
Healthcare centers offer slip/fall prevention for older adults
to help reduce their risk of falling. Such programs focus on
identifying and modifying the factors that can lead to falls.
Physical factors such as strength, balance, walking speed,
step length and muscular fitness are improved through
exercise and balance and gait training programs.
Participants are also offered advice on improving safety in
the home environment.
Posted by HealthQuest
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