Identifying and managing pain for patients with advanced dementia (Part 1)

IntroductionBarriers to recognising painPain assessment tools for patients with dementiaConclusionReferences This is part one of a two-part article. Part two can be read here.      Introduction The number of people living with dementia is growing, affecting one in 14 of those aged 65 years and over.1 By 2025, this number is expected to increase by 40%.1 The older population have increased comorbidities and so are more likely to experience pain from conditions such as osteoarthritis, peripheral vascular disease and cardiac problems.2,3 The frequency of joint pain in those older than 85 years has been reported to be as high