Recognising signs of pain

Pain is a common experience in older people including those living with dementia, as they have a number of medical conditions associated with pain and they are more susceptible to falls and injuries.

In the early stages of dementia, people with dementia are still able to communicate the presence, nature and site of pain. As dementia progresses, the capacity to self-report pain becomes limited and therefore it is challenging for caregivers to recognise pain in individuals with dementia. Below are a few ways to recognise the presence of pain and tools that can help.

• Facial expressions and vocalisations are common cues of the pain experience in people with dementia.
• People living with advanced dementia may also exhibit pain as changes in behaviours (for example, agitation) and routine activities of daily living (for example, resistance to care).
• Abbey Pain Scale and PainChek App are both examples of pain assessment tools for people with dementia with impaired communication.