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Innovations in Aged Care: The aged care pain chart: An innovative approach to assessing, managing and documenting pain in older people
Author(s) -
Edvardsson David,
Katz Benny,
Nay Rhonda
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
australasian journal on ageing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.63
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1741-6612
pISSN - 1440-6381
DOI - 10.1111/j.1741-6612.2008.00283.x
Subject(s) - chart , documentation , pain assessment , medicine , pain management , geriatric care , physical therapy , nursing , computer science , statistics , mathematics , programming language
This article presents the development and initial testing of a comprehensive pain chart for the assessment, management and documentation of pain in older people in subacute and residential aged care. The pain chart was developed from existing assessment scales and pain indicators, and is targeting needs of older people in residential care and geriatric hospital settings with high prevalence of cognitive impairments. The chart is based on self‐report of pain but allows for observation of pain‐related behaviours for those unable to report pain. The chart consists of one evaluative and one documentation dimension, and was evaluated by a group of clinicians in geriatric hospital care ( n = 15) and residential aged care ( n = 6). The chart was found to be content valid, informative and easy to use, facilitating clinical assessments and monitoring, and assisting visual readings of patients’ temporal pain trends.