patients and families
PATIENTS AND FAMILIES
People with dementia and their family/caregivers
Pain is very common in long-term care (LTC) facilities such as nursing homes but it is often not recognized and remains untreated. This happens because residents who have moderate to severe Alzheimer’s Disease or other types of dementia cannot communicate their pain clearly to others and, as a result, may be suffering in silence. Informal caregivers, patients, and family members can contribute to improving this situation by advocating for more frequent assessment of pain and improved staff education on how to evaluate pain in dementia. Informal caregivers and family members can also help in the assessment of pain by completing validated checklists of pain behaviours under the guidance of health professionals.
The ultimate goal of the #SeePainMoreClearly social media initiative is to raise awareness for the problem of pain in dementia and empower caregivers, who are in the position to advocate for improved practices, to improve the quality of life of older adults with dementia and their families.
How You Can Help
There are two ways to help. Simply fill out a short questionnaire OR sign up to participate in an interview, and make a difference in the lives of people living with dementia.
HEALTH CARE PERSONNEL
Health Care Providers or professionals, Professional caregivers, and Health care Administrators
POLICY MAKERS
Provincial and federal government personnel involved in health policy creation and others involved in setting standards and guidelines for health care delivery
THANK YOU
We thank the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation, Saskatchewan Centre for Patient-Oriented Research (SPCOR), Canadian Association on Gerontology, the Chronic Pain Network, the Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan, AGE-WELL NCE and all other organizations and people who are helping us increase awareness of the problem of pain in dementia.
