Table 3 Responses to Likert-type statements on management of pain in people with dementia
Statement on the management of pain in people with dementia | Agree a N, (%) | Neither agree nor disagree N, (%) | Disagreea N, (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
Residents with dementia who are experiencing pain should be managed differently to cognitively intact residents. | 52 (33.0) | 34 (21.6) | 71 (45.2) |
The drug treatment of pain in a resident with dementia should follow a step-wise approach. | 149 (94.9) | 5 (3.1) | 3 (1.9) |
Optimal treatment of pain is achieved when analgesics are given on a regular basis. | 116 (73.8) | 31 (19.7) | 10 (6.3) |
Paracetamol is the best analgesic to use for residents with dementia who are experiencing chronic pain. | 98 (62.4) | 43 (27.3) | 16 (10.2) |
It is safe to use opioid analgesia to treat pain in residents with dementia. | 81 (51.6) | 54 (34.4) | 22 (14.0) |
Residents with dementia are less likely to become addicted to opioid analgesics than cognitively intact patients. | 21 (13.3) | 65 (41.4) | 71 (45.2) |
There is a greater risk of side effects from opioid analgesics (e.g. respiratory depression, confusion) when used in residents with dementia. | 101 (64.3) | 36 (22.9) | 20 (12.7) |
Non-drug based methods of pain control (e.g. TENs, Heat/Cold, massage, complimentary therapy) are useful in the management of pain in residents with dementia. | 129 (82.1) | 20 (12.7) | 8 (5.09) |