pak2020

Today, federal and state governments, as well as hospitals and clinics, are struggling with the country’s devastating opioid epidemic. With prescription pain medication abuse a driving factor, the focus has mostly been on younger and middle-aged people and restricting drug access. However, millions of older people experience chronic, even debilitating pain and desperately need relief. We must take a balanced approach so that older adults can continue to make contributions to their communities and families and continue to live well as they age. Excerpted from an article by Terry Fulmer in the Huffington Post. To read full article, click here.

Dr. Cary Reid of TRIPLL was quoted in a New York Times article titled, “New Opioid Limits Challenge the Most Pain-Prone”, commenting on the importance of proper treatment of chronic pain and the reluctance of older adults to use opioid medication. Read Full article here.

The dictionary defines ageism as the "tendency to regard older persons as debilitated, unworthy of attention, or unsuitable for employment." But research indicates that ageism may not just be ill-informed or hurtful. It may also be a matter of life and death. Not that it's literally killing people. Researcher Becca Levy, a professor of epidemiology and psychology at the Yale School of Public Health, says it depends on how much a given individual takes those negative ideas to heart. In one study, Levy looked at people's attitudes about aging when they were in late middle age and then followed them over time. [...]

Cathleen Schine, author of They May Not Mean To, says that living far away from an elderly parent can create feelings of guilt as well as those of relief. Click here to read NPR Fresh Air interview with Catherine Schine, air date July 18, 2016.  

Alzheimer’s disease may affect people’s ability to recognize when they are in pain, a new study shows. Undetected pain may allow underlying health issues to go untreated, leading to serious complications, such as organ damage, researchers from Vanderbilt University in Nashville cautioned. For the three-year study, the researchers tested two groups of adults who were aged 65 or older. One group was made up of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, which affects thinking skills, memory and intellect. Members of the second group did not have the progressive neurological disease. The study used a device to subject participants to different heat sensations [...]

In the Journal of Pain Management Nursing, authors examined the association between pain intensity and health-related quality of life in ethnically diverse older adults. The study sample consisted of older adults with chronic pain from four ethnic groups (African Americans, Afro Caribbeans, Hispanics, and European Americans). The study found that African Americans reported the highest levels of pain intensity and the lowest mental and physical health scores. The authors suggest that understanding ethnic variations in pain intensity may address gaps in knowledge about health-related quality of life disparities. In addition, the authors suggest that healthcare providers should consider ethnic norms [...]

In the Journal of Applied Clinical Informatics, authors examined the impact of a smartphone application on elderlies’ lives. The smartphone application, ‘Confidence’ aims to provide support to elderly people by helping them stay independent and active. The study sample consisted of 41 individuals and their quality of life was assessed by questionnaires before and after the test period. The study found that the use of ‘Confidence’ made the study participants feel “safer” and helped communicate more with others. Authors suggest that ‘Confidence’ has the potential to have a positive effect on elderly users’ lives.

A recent study published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine, examined the effect of daily negative and positive mood on the sleep quality of older adults with knee osteoarthritis. The authors derived data from a previous related study that involved older adults with knee osteoarthritis and their partners. The study found that “daily negative and positive mood fluctuations can interact with partner responses to affect sleep quality among older adults with chronic pain.” Click here to read the full article.

A recent study published in the Pain Management Nursing journal evaluated the performance of self-reported pain, nurse-reported pain, and observational pain tools among older patients with cognitive impairment using a prospective observational design. The authors conducted the study within an acute geriatric ward located in a teaching hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The study found that “the use of an observational pain scale could help in clinical assessment when cognitive impairment is present and the older individual is unable to self-report pain.” In addition, the authors found that the use of different pain assessment methods in patients with advanced dementia should [...]

Many older adults are involved in motor vehicle crashes are severely injured and often remain in pain for months afterwards. According to a recent study published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine journal, older adults discharged from the emergency department (ED) after a motor vehicle crash, experience persistent pain, which is associated with functional decline and disability. The authors concluded that due to their findings, clinicians might have to “identify high-risk patients at the time of ED evaluation and initiate therapies to prevent the transition from acute to chronic pain.” Click here to read the full article.