Topic guides: Pain and dementia: Content

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Dementia Australia resources

Pain
People living with dementia feel pain, just like everyone else. But it might be hard for them to understand or explain their pain. If you care for someone with dementia, or if you have dementia, there are things you can do.
Dementia and pain in residential care
This short online course aims to raise your awareness of the prevalence of pain in residential aged care, helps you identify some of the common causes of pain and assists you in managing pain for people living with dementia.

Books

Pain in Dementia by Stephen J. Gibson; Stefan Lautenbacher
Publication Date: 2017
Patients with dementia often experience debilitating pain. Untreated, it can result in mental and physical impairment; a higher frequency of neuropsychiatric symptoms such as agitation, depression, and sleep problems; and adverse events such as falls, hallucination, and even death. In this book experts navigate the complex clinical challenges associated with pain among people living with dementia, identifying the sources of pain and recommending the most effective pain treatment options.
Intervene : pain care for older people and people with dementia by William McClean and Colm Cunningham
Publication Date: 2016
Pain which is mismanaged or poorly understood is a major issue in the care of older people and people with dementia. Too often pain is not recognised as a factor affecting an older person's quality of life, or dismissed lightly if it is. The situation is even more concerning for people with dementia, especially those who can no longer speak about their pain needs.
Namaste Care for People Living with Advanced Dementia by Nicola Kendall
Publication Date: 2019
The Namaste Care approach is focussed on giving comfort and pleasure to people with advanced dementia through sensory stimulation, especially the use of touch, and this book provides extensive guidance on every stage of the process, including harnessing community interest, recruiting and training volunteers, and managing pain and discomfort.

Observe a Change Consider Pain 5 steps to manage pain in people with dementia
The resource provides an evidence informed, 5-step approach to Identify, Assess, Manage, Reassess and Monitor pain for residents living in aged care. Each step is clearly outlined in the resource. The resource also presents four case studies where the 5-step approach is used to create a personalised pain management plan.
Pain Matters A Family Guide to Pain Management in Dementia
This resource helps us understand the relationship between responsive behaviour and pain. Behaviour has meaning and it may be an expression of pain.

Visit our resources in the eCollection relevant to Pain and dementia

Apps

PainChek®
An App for management of pain.
Pain often goes unrecognised and under-treated in people with communication difficulties such as dementia. Historically, pain assessment has been subjective, manually based and subsequently under-used by carers. PainChek® is a secure smartphone based medical device, using artificial intelligence to assess and score pain levels.

Video content

Journal articles

A Systematic Review of Barriers and Facilitators of Pain Management in Persons with Dementia (2023)
Approximately 50% of persons living with dementia experience pain, yet it is frequently undetected and inadequately managed resulting in adverse consequences. This review aims to synthesize evidence on the barriers and facilitators of pain management in persons living with dementia.
Liao, Y. J., Jao, Y. L., Berish, D., Hin, A. S., Wangi, K., Kitko, L., Mogle, J., & Boltz, M. (2023). A Systematic Review of Barriers and Facilitators of Pain Management in Persons with Dementia. The journal of pain, 24(5), 730–741.
Pain management for people with dementia: a cross-setting systematic review and meta-ethnography (2023)
Smith TO, Lockey D, Johnson H, Rice L, Heard J, Irving L. Pain management for people with dementia: a cross-setting systematic review and meta-ethnography. British Journal of Pain. 2023;17(1):6-22.
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Pain management for people with dementia is challenging. There is limited understanding on the experiences of pain management from people with dementia, but also from those who support them. This study synthesised the qualitative evidence to explore the perspectives of people with dementia, their family, friends, carers and healthcare professionals to pain management.
Pain in dementia (2020)
Pain in dementia is very prevalent and difficult to assess. Next to easy self-report measures, observational instruments are necessary in clinical practice.
Achterberg, W., Lautenbacher, S., Husebo, B., Erdal, A., & Herr, K. (2019). Pain in dementia. Pain reports, 5(1).

Websites

How to Help a Person with Dementia Who has Pain - Dementia Support Australia
The information in this helpsheet provides family and community with tips to recognise and understand pain, and includes some ideas that can help.
Pain Australia
General information about pain, resources, services and advocacy.

Further learning

Dementia and pain in residential care
This short online course aims to raise your awareness of the prevalence of pain in residential aged care, helps you identify some of the common causes of pain and assists you in managing pain for people living with dementia.
Pain Management Courses - Dementia Training Australia
Dementia Training Australia offers online and free training for people working in dementia care.