[Pain and pain management in old age: special features and recommendations].

INTRODUCTION Pain is highly prevalent in older persons and has a variety of causes. In geriatric patients, especially in patients with dementia, pain is often not sufficiently recognized and therefore frequently remains untreated. For the affected patient group this can have far-reaching consequences for their functional and cognitive abilities and may consequently lead to loss of autonomy. OBJECTIVE Existing deficits of pain assessment for geriatric patients are described, with a primary focus on those patients suffering from cognitive impairments and pain. In addition, the influence of multimorbidity on pain management in old age is considered in detail. METHODS The diagnostics and measurement of pain in older individuals are described based on recent literature and corresponding instruments used in the assessment of pain are outloned. The authors pay special attention to the possibilities of pain measurement in patients with higher grade cognitive impairments and non-communicative patients. CONCLUSION A standardized pain assessment should be an integral component in the care and treatment of geriatric patients and individuals suffering from dementia. Validated instruments for pain measurement exist for both groups and should be integrated into daily clinical practice.