Kommunikation av smärtuttryck hos älde personer med demenssjukdom
AbstractBackground: Among elderly people with dementia pain is a common problem. In older persons, particularly those suffering from dementia and cognitive impairment pain is often underdiagnosed and undertreated causing unnecessary pain, suffering and affect quality of life negatively. Dementia complicates the identification of pain when the natural ability to communicate decreases when a person is suffering from dementia. It is important that health professionals working with older persons with dementia are aware of the person?s pain expression.Aim: To clarify how older persons with dementia communicate pain expression.Method: To study this area a literature review was used. Both qualitative and quantitative scientific articles were used.Results: Earnings how older persons with dementia communicate pain expressions are presented in an overall theme called Changes in the person's normal pattern. The other following themes were: Mood/Social, Basic needs, Language, Body and Face with subsequent sub-themes, face- and eye expression, agitation, depressed mood, appetite, sleep, verbal and semi-verbal language, defense and touching a body part.Conclusion: It is of utmost importance to see changes in the older person?s normal pattern.Elderly people with dementia experience pain, and communicates painexpression in many different ways. To understand the communication of painexpression in older persons with dementia the nurse interprets the person's body language, verbal language and behavior altogether as a whole.