Pain Management of Elderly in Nursing Homes

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine pain management status of the elderly in nursing homes.
Methods: The descriptive study sample included 82 elderly who presented to two nursing homes in İzmir between February-July 2012. In this study, Elderly Identification Form, Mini-Mental Scale, McGill Pain Scale (MAS) and Pain Management Inventory were used as the data collection tool.
Results: It was determined that the highest rates of complaints the elderly individuals had were knee pain (64.6%) and headache (58.5%) in this study. Of the elderly people participating in the study, 96.3% took pain relievers for pain management and according to their statements, of the pain management methods they used, resting and directing attention to something else (X = 5.76 ± 0.87) and taking prescribed pain relievers (X = 5.69 ± 0.87) were very beneficial.
Conclusion: In elderly individuals, it is important to use pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods for pain management. Therefore, it is recommended to determine the most frequently used methods for pain management by the elderly and to integrate them into the care plan.