How do I treat pain appropriately in a person with dementia?
Intended for healthcare professionals
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How do I treat pain appropriately in a person with dementia?

Julie Willoughby Nurse consultant in Dementia services, Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Wolverhampton

A tool to help staff understand the management of pain in dementia care comprises four simple steps to recognise pain and treat it effectively

Pain is common in people with dementia but is often under-recognised and poorly managed (Sampson et al 2015, Closs et al 2016). One of the reasons for this is a patient’s inability to communicate verbally despite experiencing pain (McAuliffe et al 2012).

Nursing Older People. 31, 3, 21-21. doi: 10.7748/nop.31.3.21.s15

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