Education for Patients and Families

The following resources are potentially helpful as you provide education about pain to the older adults in your care or their family members. Please consider printing these high quality brochures to have available for families and individuals in your care. 

• Pain in Dementia: Family and Caregivers Guide to Assessment and Treatment (Brochure developed by the American Geriatrics Society for families and caregivers describing how to assess and treat pain in older adults with dementia)
• Persistent Pain: Patient Education Forum (List of questions and answers about pain for older adults or their families developed by the American Geriatrics Society)

You'll also see other valuable resources that you might refer families to for online use.

• Ten Medications Older Adults Should Avoid or Use With Caution
• Pain: You can get help
• Understanding Pain Less than 5 Minutes (Brief video with a holistic perspective on persistent pain)
• Observing and talking about pain behaviors: An online workshop for family members of persons with Alzheimer's disease and other dementia (This is a useful resource from the University of Alberta, Canada, that allows direct caregivers and family members to complete a detailed online course (with a speaker discussing powerpoint slides) covering pain in dementia. A simple log-in is required for immediate access.)
• LIVE Without Pain: National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) (Pain education and management resources)