Health Staff And Relatives Underestimate Chronic Pain Experienced By SNF Residents

Interesting turn this discussion has taken.


I don't believe for a minute that the reason elderly patients are undertreated for pain is due to fear of the DEA.


It's multifactorial and includes fears about addiction, overdosing, lack of training and education about how to treat pain in the elderly and probably some prejudices about chronic pain patients in general. This includes physicians and nurses. We need more research and education and we need to include the public all the way.