Many people living with dementia will experience some form of pain. Understanding this pain can help you respond with the right care.

Pain is defined as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience that may or may not also include physical tissue damage. Most importantly, pain can be a major factor contributing to changes in behaviour for someone living with dementia. This is often because the person may struggle to express their discomfort or needs clearly.

The same cognitive factors that cause dementia may also impair a person’s ability to recognise and effectively communicate that they are in pain. Alternatively, a person may have lived with a particular pain for most of their lives so that it seems normal, or perhaps are no longer sure how to manage this pain as they previously did. In these situations, pain may go unrecognised or undetected. 

To learn more about identifying and responding to pain, download the helpsheet below.