ABSTRACT
Aim:
This paper reviews the nursing research literature
on chronic pain in the older person living in the
community and suggests areas for future research.
Background:
Chronic pain is a pervasive and complex problem
that is difficult to treat appropriately. Nurses
managing chronic pain in older people in
domiciliary/home/community nursing settings face
many challenges. To provide care, the many
parameters of chronic pain which include the physical
as well as the psycho-social impact and the effect of
pain on patients and their families, must be carefully
assessed. Beliefs of the older person about pain and
pain management are also important.
Method:
Relevant nursing studies were searched using
CINAHL, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews,
EMBASE and PUBMED databases using key words
about pain and the older person that were appropriate
to each database.
Results:
Tools to assess pain intensity in the older person
have been studied but there has been less research on
the other parameters of pain assessment or how the
older person manages pain. An effective nurse-patient
relationship is an important component of this process
and one that needs more study. Few research studies
have focused on how nurses can be assisted, or on the
challenges, nurses’ face, when managing this
vulnerable population.