The State of the Art of Using Standardized Tools for Pain Assessment in Dementia

With challenges in self-reporting the presence and impact of pain by persons with dementia, behavioral pain tools have been developed as one source of information for identifying pain presence and monitoring changes in pain. Related to that, recommendations for approaching pain recognition in this vulnerable population have been formulated. Over time, the number of different tools has expanded and undergone revision, while new meta-approaches have been developed. This presentation will review evolved and current state of pain assessment using behavioral tools and establish directions for next steps to improve recognition and treatment of pain in this population.