Special Issues and Concerns in the Evaluation of Older Adults Who Have Pain

Older patients who have pain present unique challenges for clinicians. On the one hand, care must be taken to treat the pain aggressively while avoiding hampering the patient with excessive side effects, such as drowsiness, nausea and vomiting, and constipation. On the other hand, the clinician must be aware of the growing problem of prescription drug abuse and assess whether or not the patient or his or her family is at risk. Indeed, the concern for assessment is not solely centered on the patient but also extends to the family and extended support network, which may or may not have the patient's best interests at heart when it comes to pain medications. Supposing that addiction and abuse are solely the purview of the young is no longer acceptable, and we have the burden of assessing for problematic behavior while also trying to convince some patients that they would benefit from pain medicine.