Pain In Nursing Home Residents Research Articles

A systematic review of prevalence of pain in nursing home residents with dementia

BackgroundThe prevalence of dementia in nursing home (NH) residents is high, and pain is a troublesome symptom for them. Several studies since 2010 have focused on pain in NH residents with dementia, but there is a lack of systematic reviews on the prevalence of pain in NH residents with dementia.AimTo systematically review observational studies published from 2010 to 2023 on how pain is assessed and prevalence of pain found in NH residents with dementia.MethodsA systematic search was conducted in the MEDLINE, PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, CINAHL, AgeLine, and Cochrane databases for studies published from January 2010 to August 2023. Studies were included if they were observational studies with a quantitative design where self-report, staff assessment, and/or chart review were used to define the prevalence of pain in samples or subsamples of NH residents with dementia.ResultsOf 184 studies considered, 25 were included. The studies assessed pain as daily, present, clinically relevant, chronic, intermittent, persistent pain and/or if pain affected quality of life. The prevalence of pain was high in most studies of NH residents with dementia independent of whether pain was reported as presence of pain or clinically relevant pain, but the prevalence varied from 8.6% to 79.6%. This prevalence was quite stable across the NH stay, but higher towards the end of life (up to 80.4%). Study designs and methodologies differed considerably. About half relied on an observational assessment inventory.ConclusionThe number of studies focusing on pain in NH residents with dementia was restricted and methodologies differed considerably. Relatively few studies used an observational assessment inventory. In view of the fact that residents with dementia may have difficulties communicating pain, clinicians should pay attention to pain in these residents, systematically and reliably uncover pain by use of observational inventories, and subsequently treat pain to secure high quality care.

Prevalence and persistent prescription of analgesic drugs in persons admitted with dementia to a nursing home - A longitudinal study.

The overall aim was to explore the prevalence and persistent regular prescription of opioids and paracetamol among nursing home (NH) residents with dementia at admission and over time. A total of 996 residents with dementia, mean (SD) age 84.5 (7.6) years and (36.1% men), were included at admission (A1). Yearly assessments were performed for two years (A2 and A3) or until death. Pain was assessed using the Mobilization-Observation-Behavior-Intensity-Dementia-2 (MOBID-2) Pain Scale. Information regarding prescription of analgesics, general physical health, personal activities of daily living, severity of dementia, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and prescription of psychotropic drugs was collected. A generalized linear mixed model was used to explore whether pain severity was associated with persistent and persistent prescription of opioids and/or paracetamol across timepoints. At A1, 495 of 996 (49.7%) NH residents were prescribed analgesics and prevalence increased at the follow-ups (A2: n = 630, 65.1%; A3: n = 382, 71.2%). Paracetamol was the most frequently prescribed analgesic at all assessments (A1: 45.5%; A2: 59.5%; A3: 67.1%). Opioid prescriptions were quite prevalent (A1: 18.1%; A2: 25.1%; A3: 28.3%), with odds approximately 13 times (OR = 13.3, 95% CI 6.8-26.0) and 9 times (OR = 8.6, 95% CI 3.7-20.3) higher for prescription at follow-up A2 and A3, respectively, relative to prescription at A1. In adjusted analyses, higher pain intensity and poor physical health were associated with prescription and persistent prescription of opioids and paracetamol. In conclusion, prevalence and persistent prescription of analgesics were high in NH residents with dementia. The odds for the prescription of opioids at follow-up were high if prescribed at baseline. Interdisciplinary collaboration, routine assessment of pain at admission and regularly thereafter, and systematic drug reviews are essential to adequately assess and treat pain in NH residents with dementia.

GROUP-BASED TRAJECTORY MODELING OF NURSING HOME RESIDENT PAIN SCORES

Abstract Up to 80% of older adults living in a nursing home (NH) experience pain and up to 32% have substantial pain. Pain in NH residents is associated with poor quality of life, higher likelihood of depression, and decreased life satisfaction. Pain in NH residents has often been studied using a cross-sectional approach, which fails to consider the temporal nature of pain. Therefore, the purpose of this analysis was to identify and characterize clinically meaningful, dynamic pain trajectories in NH residents using data from the Minimum Data Set. A retrospective longitudinal analysis was conducted using group-based trajectory modeling with pain scores from admission to discharge or a maximum of 28 assessments. We identified four distinct trajectories: 1) consistent pain absence (48.9%), 2) decreasing-increasing pain presence (21.8%), 3) increasing-decreasing pain presence (15.3%), and 4) persistent pain presence (14.0%). Relative to residents’ in the consistent pain absence trajectory, the likelihood of being in the persistent pain presence trajectory was more than twice as high for those living in a rural versus (AOR 2.7, CI 2.2-3.4, p<.001), over 4 times higher for those with hip fracture (AOR 4.3 CI 2.6-7.0, p<.001), nearly 3 times higher for those with a fracture other than hip (AOR 2.9, CI 2.0-4.1, p<.001), and almost twice as high for those with contracture (AOR 1.7, CI 1.4-2.1, p<.001). Using residents’ characteristics associated with persistent pain such as hip fracture or contracture may improve care planning based on early identification or risk stratification and can improve mitigation of persistent pain.

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Pain in Nursing Home Residents: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

To describe the pain prevalence in nursing home (NH) residents and the factors associated with the experience of pain. Systematic review of descriptive studies. Three electronic databases were searched from 2010 to September 2020 in English. Descriptive studies that examined pain in NH residents, reported pain prevalence, and/or associated factors were included. Studies that focused exclusively on a specific disease or type of care such as cancer or hospice were excluded. Two reviewers independently screened, selected, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias from included studies; narrative synthesis was performed. The review was guided by the Biopsychosocial Model of Chronic Pain for Older Adults. Twenty-six studies met our inclusion criteria. Overall, the prevalence of current pain ranged from 22.2% to 85.0%, the prevalence of persistent pain ranged from 19.5% to 58.5%, and the prevalence of chronic pain ranged from 55.9% to 58.1%. A variety of pain scales were used reporting higher pain prevalence for those using self-report measures (31.8% to 78.8%) or proxy measures (29.5% to 85.0%) compared with using chart review (22.2% to 29.3%) as the source of pain information. The studies reviewed provide support that certain diseases and clinical conditions are associated with pain. Impairment in activities of daily living (ADL) (12 studies), cognition (9 studies), depression (9 studies), and arthritis (9 studies) are the most widely studied factors, whereas depression, ADL impairment, arthritis, dementia, and cognitive impairment present the strongest association with pain. This review highlights the complexities of pain in NH residents and has implications for both clinical practice and future research. Understanding the factors that underlie the experience of pain, such as depression, is useful for clinicians evaluating pain and tailoring management therapies. In addition, the gaps in knowledge uncovered in this review are important areas for future research.

Nurses' Autonomy and Perceived Barriers to Pain Management in Nursing Home Residents.

Nurses' autonomy is essential for optimal pain management in nursing home (NH) residents. However, little is known about nurses' autonomy and how it relates to the issue of unrelieved pain in NH residents in Jordan and beyond. The current descriptive comparative study aimed to compare the prevalence of barriers to pain assessment and management in NH residents, perceived by nurses according to their autonomy level. Participating nurses were found to have low levels of clinical autonomy. A significant difference in the prevalence of perceived barriers to pain assessment and management was found among nurses according to their autonomy level. Findings provide a better understanding of nurses' autonomy and their perceived barriers to pain assessment and management in NH residents. Findings also highlight the significance of nurses' autonomy for the assessment and management of pain in NH residents. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 47(8), 45-52.].

Characteristics of pharmacological pain treatment in older nursing home residents.

Background: Pain in older subjects with cognitive impairement is frequently undertreated.Purpose: The aim of the study was to characterize pain treatment among 199 elderly nursing home residents (NHR), aged 65 years and above.Patients and methods: In all studied subjects, cognitive functions were assessed. Based on the results, participants were divided into two groups: group 1 – cognitively intact subjects in whom the pain was evaluated based on Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), and group 2 – subjects with cognitive impairment, in whom Abbey Pain Scale (APS) was used to assess pain. Thereafter, subjects with inappropriately treated pain (ie, ineffectively treated or untreated) were analyzed in detail as group 1a (NRS >0) and group 2a (Abbey >2).Results: The prevalence of pain in group 1 and 2 did not differ (65% and 70% respectively). However, inappropriately treated pain occurred more frequently in group 2 (2a=85% vs 1a=64%; p<0.01). This was related to the more frequent occurrence of untreated pain (52% vs 22%; p<0.001), because the presence of ineffectively treated pain was comparable in both groups (34% vs 42%). Qualitative analysis of pharmacotherapy in subjects with inappropriately treated pain demonstrated that acetaminophen in low dosages was the most frequently consumed drug from the first step of the analgesic ladder (16 individuals), from the second step – a combination of tramadol and acetaminophen (8 individuals), and from the third step – buprenorphine was the only drug applied (6 individuals).Conclusion: Our study showed a high frequency of untreated or ineffectively treated pain in NHR, regardless of the cognitive status of studied subjects. However, these phenomena were particularly frequent in subjects with cognitive impairment. Thus, proper education of the staff is needed to increase their knowledge about both the pain assessment and its treatment.

Pain Treatments After Hip Fracture Among Older Nursing Home Residents

ObjectivesTo examine the association between use of opioids versus other analgesics with death and functioning after hip fracture in older nursing home (NH) residents. DesignRetrospective cohort using national Medicare fee-for-service claims linked to the Minimum Data Set. SettingUS NHs. ParticipantsNH residents aged ≥65 years who became a long-stay resident (>100 days in the NH) between January 2008 and December 2009, had a hospitalized hip fracture, and returned to the NH. ExposureNew use of opioid versus nonopioid analgesics (acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) within 14 days post hip fracture. MeasurementsFollow-up began on the index date and continued until the first occurrence of death, significant functional decline (3-point increase on MDS Activities of Daily Living scale), or 120 days of follow-up. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for outcomes were estimated using inverse probability of treatment–weighted multinomial logistic regression models. ResultsAmong the 2755 NH residents with a hip fracture included in our study, 1155 (41.9%) were opioid users, and 1600 (58.1%) were nonopioid analgesic users. The mean age was 86.3 years, 73.8% were female, and 86.0% were white. Opioid use was associated with a significantly lower likelihood of death (OR = 0.47, 95% CI 0.39-0.56) and a nonsignificant decrease in functional decline (OR = 0.77, 95% CI 0.58-1.03). ConclusionA rigorous study that addresses the limitations of this study is critical to validate our preliminary findings and provide evidence about the effect of using opioid versus nonopioid analgesics to optimize acute pain in NH residents with a hip fracture.

Nonpharmacologic Pain Management Interventions in German Nursing Homes: A Cluster Randomized Trial

The reported prevalence of pain among nursing home residents (NHRs) is high. Insufficient use of analgesics, the conventional pain management strategy, is often reported. Whether and to what extent nonpharmacologic therapies (NPTs) are used to manage the pain of NHRs in Germany is largely unknown. The aim of this cluster-randomized trial was to assess the NPTs provided and to enhance the application and prescription of NPTs in NHRs on an individual level. There were six nursing homes in the intervention group and six in the control group. There were 239 NHRs, aged ≥65 years, with an average Mini-Mental State Examination score of at least 18 at baseline. Pain management interventions (cluster level) included an online course for physicians and 1-day seminar for nurses. Data on NPT applied by nurses and therapeutic NPT prescribed by physicians were obtained from residents' nursing documentation. Face-to-face interviews with NHRs assessed the NPT received. At baseline, 82.6% of NHR (mean age 83 years) were affected by pain, but less than 1 in 10 received NPT. The intervention did not result in a significant increase in the NPT applied by nurses, but did significantly increase the therapeutic NPT prescribed by physicians. Residents were active in using NPT to self-manage their pain. Given the prevalence of pain in NHRs, there is a clear need to improve pain management in this population. Extended use of NPT offers a promising approach. We recommend that nurses provide residents with education on pain-management techniques to support them in taking a proactive role in managing their pain.

Understanding nurses' decisions to treat pain in nursing home residents with dementia.

Nursing home (NH) residents with dementia continue to receive inadequate pain treatment. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine how nurses make decisions to pharmacologically treat pain in NH residents with dementia. Using Grounded Dimensional Analysis, 15 in-depth interviews were conducted with 13 nurses from four skilled nursing facilities in Wisconsin. Nurses experienced varying levels of certainty regarding suspected pain in response to particular resident characteristics and whether pain was perceived as visible/obvious or nonvisible/not obvious. Nurses felt highly uncertain about pain in residents with dementia. Suspected pain in residents with dementia was nearly always conceptualized as a change in behavior to which nurses responded by trialing multiple interventions in attempts to return the resident to baseline, which despite current recommendations, did not include pain relief trials. Residents with dementia were described as being at greatest risk for experiencing underassessment, undertreatment, and delayed treatment for pain