Assessment and treatment of discomfort for people with late-stage dementia

People with dementia have often been excluded from pain studies. However th ere is evidence supporting that people with dementia experience frequent pa in, often poorly assessed and undertreated, and that the etiology for pain descriptions is poorly documented. The Assessment of Discomfort in Dementia (ADD) Protocol is designed to: a) more accurately assess discomfort in peo ple with dementia who can no longer verbally desribe physical pain or affec tive discomfort; b) more accurately and thoroughly treat physical pain and affective discomfort; and c) elect-ease inappropriate use of psychotropic m edication. The use of the ADD Protocol was studies with a convenience sampl e of 104 residents of long-term care with end-stage dementia. Use of the AD D Protocol was associated with a significant decrease in discomfort (t = 6. 56, p = 0.000). The most frequently seen behavior symptoms associated with discomfort were tense body language, sad facial expression, fidgeting perse verant verbalizations, and verbal outburts. The ADD Protocol was also assoc iated with a significant increase in the use of scheduled analgesics and no n-pharmacological comfort interventions. The protocol was not associated wi th an increase in the use of prn analgesics or with km or scheduled psychot ropics. This study has provided some support for the notion that the needs of people with significant dementia can be discerned and treated. (C) U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee, 1999.