Geriatric Pain Knowledge Assessment

Pain in long-term care residents is often difficult to assess and manage.  Consequently, the National Geriatric Pain Collaborative developed the web site Geriatricpain.org (previously featured on Info-LTC), which provides long-term care nurses with free, evidence-based pain assessment tools and resources to better manage pain in residents.  The most recently developed tool is the Geriatric Pain Knowledge Assessment tool. 

The Geriatric Pain Knowledge Assessment tool was developed to test a nurses baseline knowledge of important concepts related to pain in older adults.  The assessment tool will identify any strengths and/or any gaps in knowledge that would improve quality of care.  It consists of 46 True/False and multiple choice questions based on the 19 evidence-based competencies previously developed by Geriatricpain.org. 

The assessment tool is available online, but requires registration.  Once the online form is completed, login information will be emailed in 2-3 working days.  Educators may also request a PDF file, but should expect the same time frame for turnaround.

For more information and to fill out the registration form, please visit http://bit.ly/UmHovp. 

Assessment of Older Adults with Dimished Capacity

The American Psychological Association and American Bar Association have collaborated on a series of handbooks related to assessment of older adults with diminished capacity. All three handbooks (for lawyers, judges and psychologists) are available at:

http://www.apa.org/pi/aging/programs/assessment/index.aspx

From New Resources on Aging, Mar. 2010

Informal Caregiver of Older Adults at Home: Let's PREPARE

New from the Try This: Best Practices in Nursing Care for Older Adults from the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, New York University School of Nursing.

The PREPARE approach provides the home care nurse with a tool to facilitate a successful transition of the patient to home care. The checklist may be utilized to assure that the essential components of informal caregiver preparedness have been assessed. If the informal caregiver is found lacking the necessary health care management skills the nurse, in collaboration
with the primary care provider and the multidisciplinary team, can implement interventions to provide the needed support.

http://consultgerirn.org/uploads/File/trythis/try_this_sp2.pdf

Assessment of Older People for Continuing Care

Published September, 2009 as part of the British Geriatrics Society, Best Practice Guide series:

http://www.bgs.org.uk/Publications/Compendium/compend_4-6.htm