Managing Pain in the Older Adult

Michaelene P. Jansen, PhD, RN-C, GNP-BC, NP-C

Mar 2008 · Springer Publishing Company

About this ebook

Our elderly population is the fastest-growing segment of society, and pain, particularly chronic pain, is one of the most common problems this group faces.

In Managing Pain in the Older Adult, Dr. Jansen provides treatment options designed for older adults. Controlling pain can be challenging as the elderly, in addition to the common physiologic changes of aging, often have multiple health problems and take many medications. Furthermore, drugs are only rarely tested on older adults, so pharmaceutical intervention often relies on a slow trial and error regime. Drawing on her experience in critical care and neuroscience nursing as well as work as a GNP, Dr. Jansen adopts a multimodality approach to focus on the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of acute and chronic pain among older adults with interventional, non-interventional, pharmacotherapeutic, and nonpharmacotherapeutic methods.

Managing Pain in the Older Adult addresses a myriad of factors pertaining exclusively to pain management among the elderly, including:

• The importance of early recognition of pain symptoms
• Environmental factors that influence pain and its perception
• Specific issues involved when treating the elderly
• Non-pharmaceutical treatments: physical therapy, acupuncture, and other complementary techniques
• Lack of resources for treating pain in the aged

The book will serve as an invaluable reference for a wide range of health care providers working with our aging population.