Pain in Older People – A Hidden Problem?
22/03/2007 - 22/03/2007
On 22nd March 2007, Claire Rayner, President of The Patients Association launched our latest report into pain management at a reception in the House of Commons.
Pain in Older People - A Hidden Problem continues the work started with our previous report ‘Pain in Older People – the Carer’s Perspective’ and focuses on nursing home residents’ individual experiences of chronic pain. The Pain in Older People project is supported by a research grant from Napp Pharmaceuticals.
The launch was a great success. We were delighted that Andrew Lansley CBE MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Health kindly agreed to host our reception and grateful to one of our new Trustees, Edwina Currie for presenting the research at the event. With guests from the public and charity sector, clinicians and government agencies the event was well attended by many of those involved in the care of older people.
The report itself has highlighted some disturbing trends in the management of pain in nursing homes and the Patients Association will continue to campaign strongly for the situation to improve. Our research shows that 85% of residents had never been spoken to about the chronic pain by a nurse or doctor and more than half (57%) had never been asked about their pain by nursing home staff responsible for their day to day care.
Additionally interviewees reported discussions about their pain management, often took place between the GP and the nursing staff in the home without including residents themselves. The report’s findings support earlier research conducted by
The Patients Association last year on the carer’s perspective of looking after older people in pain in which 39% of non-professional carers reported that healthcare professionals never or only occasionally reviewed their patient’s pain level.
Director of Communications at the Patients Association, Katherine Murphy said at the event “With more than half a million aged 65 or over now living in nursing homes, the results of the research are disgraceful. It is outrageous that so many residents are left in chronic pain unnecessarily. It is unacceptable for healthcare and nursing staff not to be actively relieving chronic pain. There is a desperate need for a more proactive approach to the management and treatment of pain by healthcare and nursing home staff.”
The Patients Association has long campaigned on the care of older people and with approximately 10 million people aged over 65 in the UK this issue is vitally important. We were delighted that the launch was so well attended by representatives of the from the public and charity sector, clinicians and government agencies.
Following the launch of the report we were contacted by many relatives of those in nursing homes who had experienced poor management of chronic pain. We hope that these reports will highlight the issue both to nursing home staff and policy makers that leaving people in chronic pain unnecessarily is unacceptable and often easily avoidable.
To see more about our ongoing campaign for Care of Older People please visit our campaigns page. For a copy of the Pain in Older People - A Hidden Problem please see below.
