Pain Assessment in Cognitively Impaired Older Adults

Use the following tools to screen for pain in older adults who have dementia or other cognitive impairment with a limited ability to communicate.

General Guidelines for Pain Assessment in Older Adults with Cognitive Impairment 

List of recommendations for completing a pain assessment for older adults with cognitive impairments.

Toolkit for Family Caregivers to assess pain in family members with dementia.

Pain Assessment Tools

Pain Assessment in Advanced Dementia (PAINAD)

Pain assessment tools used to assess pain in older adults who have dementia or other cognitive impairment and are unable to reliably communicate their pain.

Pain Assessment Checklist for Seniors with Limited Ability to Communicate (PACSLAC-II)

Revised PACSLAC with fewer items on a checklist to screen for pain in older adults who have dementia or other cognitive impairment resulting in a limited ability to communicate.

Comprehensive Pain Assessment in Cognitively Impaired Older Adults 

A comprehensive pain assessment elicits the older adult’s subjective self-report of pain when possible. For older adults with cognitive impairment the clinician must consider the older adult’s history, interview information and results of physical examinations to identify potential pain etiologies. 

Pain Assessment Support Resources

How to Try This Video: Pain Assessment in Older Adults 

Details about a FREE 1-hour video that contains content on assessment of both cognitively intact and cognitively impaired older adults and relevant for the nursing home population.

Analgesic Trial for Suspected Pain in Older Adults with Cognitive Impairment 

Description of how to complete an analgesic trial for suspected pain in older adults with cognitive impairments.