• There is not a lot of research in pain in elderly patients who have communication difficulties, but there is a lot of research in pediatric pain patients and how to assess pain in babies or children who cannot communicate their pain to adults verbally
• When you're trying to assess pain in an elderly patient who might not be able to communicate verbally, we ask practitioners to be especially vigilant for signs such as grimacing, bracing, or sighing
• These are signs that are typically used in pediatric patients but also hold true for elderly patients

Copyright 1999 by the GEC