Pain in VA Nursing Homes
Author Information
Author(s): Am Linda, Jacques Wildjena Jean, Zhao Shibei, Quach Emma, Hartmann Christine, Pimentel Camilla
Primary Institution: Department of Veterans Affairs
Hypothesis
Identifying whether pain improves or worsens among residents of VA nursing homes is critical but difficult.
Conclusion
The study found a high prevalence of pain among VA nursing home residents, with many experiencing persistent pain that may worsen over time.
Supporting Evidence
- Pain is highly prevalent in U.S. nursing homes, with estimates of 22%-85% of residents experiencing any pain.
- Among the 1,824 long-stay residents, 49.3% had documented pain.
- 56.6% of residents with pain experienced persistent pain.
- 76.2% of residents with intermittent pain reported worsening pain.
Takeaway
Many people in VA nursing homes have pain, and for some, it gets worse over time.
Methodology
The study used individual-level VA data from the Minimum Data Set 3.0 and evaluated pain patterns among long-stay residents.
Limitations
The study focused only on residents with long length of stay and may not represent all nursing home residents.
Participant Demographics
Residents of VA nursing homes, specifically those with long stays and recent pain assessments.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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