Pain reports by older adults in long-term care: a pilot study of changes over time

• Published in: Pain research & management Vol. 10; no. 3; pp. 159 - 164
• Main Authors: Gibson, Margaret C, Woodbury, M Gail, Hay, Kim, Bol, Nancy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Hindawi Limited 2005; Wiley
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging - physiology; Anxiety - psychology; Canada; Chronic Disease; Cohort Studies; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depressive Disorder - psychology; Disease Progression; Female; Humans; Long term health care; Long-Term Care; Longitudinal Studies; Neuropsychological Tests; Older people; Pain - epidemiology; Pain - psychology; Pain management; Pain Measurement; Pilot Projects; Quality of Life; Retrospective Studies; Self monitoring; Veterans; Canada
• DOI: 10.1155/2005/654192
• ISSN: 1203-6765

To document self-reported pain descriptions throughout residency in a long-term care facility for a convenience sample of older adults (Canadian war veterans). The present study was a longitudinal, fixed-cohort study with anticipated attrition. Participants (n = 33) were assessed every three months from admission until attrition or end of study (three years). The assessments included standardized measures of psychosocial functioning and a comprehensive pain questionnaire for residents who reported a pain problem. On average, respondents completed five assessments before attrition and reported pain in 69% of assessments. The likelihood of pain report decreased as the number of assessments increased. Cross-sectional analysis indicated that, at admission, pain duration was greater and nonverbal pain expression less prominent than later in residency. Longitudinal analysis indicated greater than 50% within-subject variability across three consecutive pain reports for nonpharmacological pain relief, pain expression and functional impact of pain. The present study highlights the need for patient-centred, longitudinal investigations of both the natural progression of pain and environmental factors that mediate pain management in the interests of improving pain control for this population.