This document provides an overview of a pain management program for long-term care facilities. It describes the objectives of recognizing and treating different types of pain through pharmacological and non-pharmacological means. It discusses assessing pain in residents, including those with communication difficulties, and treating it to improve quality of life and prevent negative consequences. Guidelines are provided on analgesic use and regulating pain in elderly residents to balance risks of under- and over-treatment. The roles and responsibilities of staff to ensure pain compliance with regulations are also reviewed.

1. Pain Management
Purpose: This program is to describe
basic pain management principles
related to types of pain, how to
recognize pain, and how to use
pharmacological and non-
pharmacological pain treatments.

2. Objectives
• Understand how the management of pain
affects the quality of life of the LTC
resident.
• Develop an awareness of misconceptions
and consequences of untreated pain.
• Recognize different types of pain and
identify appropriate analgesics for each
type.

3. Objectives, cont.
• Utilize pain assessment tools as needed for
facility residents.
• Understand how to determine correct doses
of analgesics, as resident needs change.
• Understand that all team members have a
role in assessment and treatment of pain.

4. Introduction
Responsibility for Effective Pain Relief
• Pain is what a patient says it is.
• Pain is totally subjective.
• In LTC, residents do no always verbalize
their pain but express it is other ways.
• LTC residents often have more than one
source of pain.
• LTC residents are at increased risk of drug
interactions.

5. Introduction, cont.
• Pain is common at end of life as a result of
arthritis, circulatory disorders, immobility,
neuropathy, cancer and other age-related
conditions.
• Everyone experiences pain differently.
• Older patients report pain differently.
• Institutionalized elderly are often stoic
about pain.

6. Introduction, cont.
• One person’s report of severe pain may
seem like almost nothing compared to
another.
• Caregiver’s challenge is to assess all
relevant factors without imposing personal
biases.
• Resident’s self-report of pain is the single
most reliable indicator of pain.

7. Introduction, cont.
• All LTC staff and resident’s family share in
the role of pain management.
• Residents may not have pain when not
moving and caregivers report pain when he
or she is moving or doing ADLs.
• Everyone caring for the resident must know
to recognize and report pain.

8. “In any LTC facility, the quality
of the pain control will be
influenced by the availability of a
pain management program and
the training, expertise, and
experience of its members.”

9. Common Misconceptions about
Pain
• The caregiver is the best judge of pain.
• A person with pain will always have
obvious signs such as moaning, abnormal
vital signs, or not eating.
• Pain is a normal part of aging.
• Addiction is common when opioid
medications are prescribed.

10. Common Misconceptions about
Pain, cont.
• Morphine and other strong pain relievers
should be reserved for the late stages of
dying.
• Morphine and other opioids can easily
cause lethal respiratory depression.
• Pain medication should be given only after
the resident develops pain.
• Anxiety always makes pain worse.

11. Consequences of Untreated Pain
What happens if pain isn’t properly
treated?
• Poor appetite and weight loss
• Disturbed sleep
• Withdrawal from talking or social activities
• Sadness, anxiety, or depression
• Physical and verbal aggression, wandering,
acting-out behavior, resists care
• Difficulty walking or transferring; may
become bed bound

12. Consequences of Untreated Pain,
cont.
• Skin ulcers
• Incontinence
• Increased risk for use of chemical and
physical restraints
• Decreased ability to perform ADL’s
• Impaired immune function

13. Descriptions of Pain
Categories of Pain by Duration
Acute Pain
Brief duration, goes away with healing,
usually 6 months or less.
• Not necessarily more severe than chronic
• May be sudden onset or slow in onset
• Examples are broken bones, strep throat,
and pain after surgery or injury

14. Descriptions of Pain
Categories of Pain by Duration
Chronic Cancer Pain
Pain is expected to have an end, with cure
or with death.
• Aggressive treatment
• Addiction not a concern

15. Categories of Pain by Duration
Chronic Non-Malignant Pain
Pain has no predictable ending
• Difficult to find specific cause
• Often can’t be cured
• Frequently undertreated

16. Categories of Pain by Type
Somatic
Source: Skin, muscle, and connective
tissue
Examples: Sprains, headaches, arthritis
Description: Localized, sharp/dull, worse with
movement or touch
Pain med: Most pain meds will help, if
severe, need a stronger medication

17. Categories of Pain by Type
Visceral
Source: Internal organs
Examples: Tumor growth, gastritis,
chest pain
Description: Not localized, refers,
constant and dull, less
affected with movement
Pain Med: Stronger pain medications

18. Categories of Pain by Type
Bone Pain
Source: Sensitive nerve fibers on the
outer surface of bone
Examples: Cancer spread to bone, fx,
and severe osteoporosis
Description: Tends to be constant, worse
with movement
Pain Med: Stronger pain meds, opiates with
NSAIDS as adjunct

19. Categories of Pain by Type
Neuropathic
Source: Nerves
Examples: Diabetic neuropathy,
phantom limb pain, cancer
spread to nerve plexis
Description: Burning, stabbing, pins and
needles, shock-like, shooting
Pain Meds: Opioates+tricyclic
antidepressants or other adjuvant

20. Pain Assessment
Asking about pain is an important part of ALL
assessments!!
• Everyone caring for the resident is to know to
report pain.
• Charge nurses must assess all reports of pain.
• Assessments to identify and treat pain must be
ongoing.
• Elderly residents require frequent monitoring for
pain.

21. Residents with Dementia or
Communication Difficulties
Consider the following when assessing
residents with dementia or communication
problems:
• Ask the resident if he or she is having pain.
• Consider the disease condition and
procedures that may be causing pain, think
“if I were that resident, would I want
something for pain?”

22. Residents with Dementia or
Communication Difficulties, cont.
• Use proxy pain reporting-family, staff
• Be alert for behaviors that may indicate pain.
• Facial expressions
• Physical movements
• Vocalizations
• Social changes
• Aggression

23. Treatment of Pain
Rules of thumb, common sense rules:
• Use the lowest effective dose by the simplest
route.
• Start with the simplest single agent and maximize
it’s potential before adding other drugs.
• Use scheduled, long-acting pain medications for
constant or frequent pain, with prn, short-acting
medication available for breakthrough.
• Treat breakthrough pain with one-third the 12
hours scheduled dose.

24. Treatment of Pain, cont.
• If three or more prn doses are used in a day,
increase the scheduled dose. Increase by ¼
- ½ of the prior dose. Increase the prn dose
when you increase the scheduled dose.
• Be vigilant at assessing the side effects of
medication. Treat or prevent side effects,
such as constipation and nausea. Change
medication as necessary.

25. Treatment of Pain, cont.
• Use the WHO’s step-wise approach, also
called WHO Analgesic Ladder, Subsection
2.7 in Manual.
• Reevaluate and adjust medications at
regular intervals and as necessary.
• Do not stop pain medication in terminal
patients. Chang the route if needed.

26. Pain Management in the Elderly
Elderly present several pain management
problems:
• Little attention in the literature for physicians or
nurses on topic of pain in the elderly.
• Elderly report pain differently due to changes in
aging-physically, psychologically, culturally.
• Institutionalized elderly often stoic about pain.
• Cognitive impairment, delirium, and dementia
present barriers to pain assessment.

27. Opioid Use in the Elderly
Educating staff is essential!!
• Opioids produce higher plasma concentrations in
older persons
• Greater sensitivity in both analgesic properties and
side effects
• Smaller starting doses required
• Consider duration of action, formulation
availability, side-effect profile, and resident
preference.
• Review for drug interactions

28. Opioid Use in the Elderly, cont.
• Older persons may have fluctuating pain levels
and require rapid titration or frequent
breatkthrough medication.
• Long-acting are generally suitable once steady
pain levels have been achieved.
• Once steady pain relief levels are achieved,
controlled-released formulas can be used.
• Fentanyl patches should not be placed on areas of
the body that may receive excessive heat. Patches
may be contraindicated with exceptionally low
body fat.

29. Pain Management Risk for LTC
Residents
• Frail elderly at risk for both under and over
treatment of pain.
• NSAIDS and acetaminophen are effective and
appropriate for a variety of pain complaints.
• NSAIDS risk gastric and renal toxicity
• Unusual drug reactions more common in the
elderly.
• Staff must be aware of side effects and there must
be an effective communication method for staff to
know adverse drug reactions.

30. What Everyone Can do to
Manage Pain
• Show that you care.
• Talk to the resident, even if he/she doesn’t
understand. Talk to, not around, the resident.
• Make the room pleasant.
• Take care of the basics-glasses, hearing aides, dry
clothes toileting, food, fluids.
• Communicate with the team-let others know what
works.

31. What Everyone Can do to
Manage Pain, cont.
• Always report pain. Pain IS NOT a normal part of
aging.
• Understand the care plan for pain-pain
management is a team approach.
• Use relaxation methods to decrease anxiety and
muscle tension.
• Use tactile strategies like stroking and massage.
• Music, art and meditation can be very helpful.
• Don’t forget the team. Pt for mobility and safety,
OT for positioning and splints.

32. MDS and Regulatory
Requirements
The following MDS items could be primary
or secondary triggers for recognizing pain:
• Section E.1 Mood and Behavior Patterns
For example, repetitive verbalization,
persistent anger, repetitive health
complaints; sad, worried, facial expression,
crying, tearfulness, repetitive movements,
reduced social interaction.

33. MDS and Regulatory
Requirements, cont.
• Section E.4. Mood and Behavior Patterns
For example, wandering, verbally abusive,
physically abusive, socially inappropriate,
resists care.
• Section F.2. Psychosocial Well-being
For example, covert/open conflict or
repeated criticism of staff, unhappy with
roommate, unhappy with other residents.

34. MDS and Regulatory
Requirements, cont.
• Section I.1. Disease Diagnoses
For example, deep vein thrombosis,
arthritis, hip fracture, missing limb,
osteoporosis, pathological bone fracture,
cancer.
• Section I.2. Infections
For example, wound infection
• Section J.2. Pain Symptoms

35. MDS and Regulatory
Requirements, cont.
• Section K. Oral/nutritional status
For example, mouth pain.
• Section L. Oral/Dental Status
For example, inflamed, swollen, bleeding gums,
abscesses, ulcers or rashes.
• Section M. Skin conditions
For example, skin ulcers, abrasions, bruises,
rashes, skin tears, cuts, surgical wounds, skin
treatments; foot problems.

36. MDS and Regulatory
Requirements, cont.
State Licensure
19 CSR 30-85.042 (67)
Requires the facility to address the
resident’s pain:
“Each resident shall receive personal
attention and nursing care in accordance
with his/her condition and consistent with
current acceptable nursing practice.”

37. MDS and Regulatory
Requirements, cont.
Federal Regulation
42 CFR Section 483.20 (b), F272
Requires facility to make a comprehensive
assessment:
“A facility must make a comprehensive
assessment of resident’s needs, using the
RAI specified by the state.”

38. MDS and Regulatory
Requirements, cont.
42 CFR 483.20 (k) F279
Requires facility staff to develop a comprehensive
care plan to address pain:
“The facility must develop a comprehensive care
plan for each resident that includes measurable
objectives and timetables to meet a resident’s
medical, nursing, mental, and psychosocial needs
that are identified in the comprehensive
assessment.”

39. MDS and Regulatory
Requirements, cont.
42 CFR Section 483.25, F309
Requires facility staff to meet the pain needs of the
resident:
“Each resident must receive and the facility must
provide the necessary care and services to attain or
maintain the highest practicable physical, mental,
and psychosocial well-being, in accordance with
the comprehensive assessment and plan of care.”

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