Assessing Pain in Older Adults

Abstract

In recent years, pain control has become a topic of increased interest in the United States. Although the interest originated in professional societies (the American Pain Society has called for pain to be treated as a “fifth vital sign”), regulatory agencies have now picked up on the issue. For example, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), probably the most important of the regulatory agencies, has established standards for pain assessment to be implemented by the upcoming year (JCAHO, 2000).