Little is currently known about the pain experience of individuals with chronic dementia. The proposed study will investigate the prevalence of pain in institutionalized elders with chronic dementia, the effectiveness of pain identification and management and the relationship of pain management to agitation, functional abilities, and depression. The Progressively Lowered Stress Threshold (PLST) model will provide the theoretical framework for the study. Subjects will be residents of three 100-200 bed community-based non-profit nursing homes located in the Midwest. Agitation, functional abilities, and depression will be assessed and records will be reviewed to determine the extent of pain identification and management. A cross-sectional design will be used. Descriptive statistical procedures will be used to investigate the effectiveness of pain identification and management. Multivariate statistical procedures will be employed to determine if relationships exist between pain and study variables. Results will provide a foundation for research toward improved pain management and outcomes for individuals with chronic dementia.
