New survey indicators for long-term care facilities and professional practice necessary to help take the guesswork out of pain assessment

Abstract

Taiwan's Department of Health included pain management as part of the long-term care facility accreditation process in 2012. Although this makes such facilities success in managing and reducing the pain perceptions of residents a consideration in facility evaluations and certification approval, pain remains a commonly neglected issue at Taiwan s long-term care facilities. Despite the high prevalence and consequences of pain among this group, healthcare professionals still have difficulty accurately assessing and treating pain. In order to enhance institutional pain assessment and management, this paper first presents a synopsis of the issues primarily responsible for the current under-recognition and under-treatment of pain, then describes the usefulness of current institutional caregivers pain information and factors of influence. We further review general pain assessment principles and measurement tools, assess the implications of these, and then make suggestions for improvement. Appropriate pain assessment and treatment are considered a fundamental human right for all residents of long-term care facilities. Systematic, routine and interdisciplinary pain assessment using standardized, validated measures should be the foundation of effective pain management in elderly residents of long-term care facilities.