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. 

Current Perspectives Update: Pain

“Pain in Long-Term Care” in the J. W. Crane Memorial Library’s Current Perspectives series has been newly updated.

The "Current Perspectives Series" from the J. W. Crane Memorial Library, highlights current articles, books and Internet resources on specific topics of interest to long-term care professionals. To access “Pain” and other topics in the series, go to:
http://umanitoba.ca/libraries/units/health/links/aging.html

Geriatric Pain

The purpose of this web resource is to share best practice tools and resources with nurses responsible for pain care in older adults who reside in nursing homes.

The Geriatric Pain Web site content was developed for Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (STTI) by representatives from five of the nine John A. Hartford Centers of Geriatric Nursing Excellence: The University of Iowa, Oregon Health & Science University, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, the University of California at San Francisco and the University of Pennsylvania.

The site has information on appropriate pain assessment, and tools to help plan and implement effective care for older adults who reside in nursing homes.

The Geriatric Pain Web site resources are free to registered users. Registration is quick, easy and requires only your e-mail address, password, name and zip code.

The site is part of the new Center for Nursing Excellence in Long Term Care site.

http:www.geriatricpain.org

Understanding Pain and Dementia

In order to address the significant problem of undiagnosed and under-treated pain in the elderly, Cary A. Brown, University of Alberta and Agnes Mitchell, Grant MacEwan College (Edmonton), developed this website to help family members learn about pain in someone with dementia. The website contains:

· a narrated presentation about pain and dementia
· a downloadable resource pack for family members
· a downloadable pain-log and the PAINAD assessment tool
· a facilitator’s toolkit of background material, a planning guide, promotional material, and supplemental information for organizations who wish to put on a workshop using the materials

http://www.painanddementia.ualberta.ca

Crane Library Web Pick of the Week: Best Practices Toolkit

The Best Practices Toolkit is compiled by the Long-Term Care Best Practices Initiative Team, an initiative led by the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario, which had its origins in a three- year pilot from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

The goal of the 'Long-Term Care Best Practices Initiative' is to support long-term care homes in adopting evidence-based practices that will support systematic and consistent approaches to providing quality care for residents. The Toolkit is intended to be used by LTC home staff to support their efforts in best practice implementation. It is a dynamic resource, and is being updated and revised on a regular basis by the LTC Best Practices Initiative team.

The five toolkit topics are:

• Client centred care
• Continence and Constipation: assessment and management
• Falls prevention and management
• Pain assessment and management
• Pressure ulcer risk prevention, assessment and management

Each topic is divided into the following sections:

• Best Practices/Standards
• Assessment Tools
• Planning & Implementation Tools
• Quality Improvement Tools
• Additional Implementation Resources
• Policies and Procedures
• Care Planning
• Education Resources
• Evaluation
• Recommended Readings/References


http://ltctoolkit.rnao.ca/content/introduction

"Current Perspectives" Update: Managing Pain in Long-Term Care

Managing Pain in Long-Term Care in the J. W. Crane Memorial Library’s "Current Perspectives" series has been newly updated. The "Current Perspectives Series" from the J. W. Crane Memorial Library, highlights current articles, books and Internet resources on specific topics of interest to long-term care professionals.

To access Managing Pain and other topics in the series, go to: http://umanitoba.ca/libraries/units/health/links/aging.html#currentpers

Topical or Oral Ibuprofen for Chronic Knee Pain in Older People.

This study examines whether GPs should advise their older patients with chronic knee pain to use topical or oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Authored by Professor Martin Underwood et al, and published in July 2008, this 176 page report and executive summary is number 12(22) in the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programme monograph series from the National Coordinating Centre for Health Technology Assessment (NCCHTA), part of the Wessex Institute at the University of Southampton.

http://www.hta.ac.uk/fullmono/mon1222.pdf

Do you Recognise Pain in Someone with a Learning Difficulty and Dementia?

A set of resources to help care staff, GPs and carers to recognise and treat pain in people who have a learning difficulty and dementia.

 

People with learning difficulties are living longer, which means they are more likely to develop the conditions of older age, such as dementia. Someone with a learning difficulty and dementia may not be able to communicate that they are in pain and it can be ignored or mistaken for challenging behaviour.

These resources, which are free to download, build on research published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation in 2006, include:

• a poster highlighting symptoms and common causes of pain in people with a learning difficulty and dementia;  
• a factsheet for care staff and carers, summing up key findings from the research;
• a guide for GPs; and
• a guide for care staff and carers.

http://www.jrf.org.uk/bookshop/details.asp?pubID=1027

General Pain Issues in Geriatrics

The April, 2008 issue of the University of Iowa E-News from the Iowa Geriatric Education Centre is now available. This issue focuses on current literature about pain issues in geriatrics.
http://www.healthcare.uiowa.edu/igec/publications/e-news/assets/E-News_04_2008.pdf

Palliative Care Guideline from the American College of Physicians

Evidence-based interventions to improve the palliative care of pain, dyspnea, and depression at the end of life: a clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med 2008 Jan 15;148(2):141-6. PubMed