Pain Management and Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Pain Management and Assessment - Essay Example Also, a brief idea of how the cost of elderly career affects the realm of healthcare is mentioned to give credence to the fact that incurred costs often play a role in the type of treatment that the elderly patients receive and in what they receive in the assessment and management of their pain. Also, there are concerns about the social psychological and environmental needs of the elderly as well. All of these pertinent issues are discussed so that a better enlightenment can be illustrated in what exactly caring for the elderly patient entails in a nursing practice, specifically within a medically facilitated environment. The conclusion demonstrates that despite the fact that care of the elderly can be more complex and costly they are entitled to the same rights as any other patient and deserve to have effective and appropriate pain management given to them to provide them with the best quality care and comfort level possible. This is the goal of any nurse in the medical field in regards to any and all patients which the finality of this literature defines. Pain is something that is experienced by every human being regardless of their age, gender, or economic status. The theory in behind pain is more than one; in fact there are three theorizations to provide a medical definition of pain. However, pain is normally described as an unfavorable experience that creates an extensive emotional and disabling influence on an individual, especially within the elderly population. The three theories of pain are the Specificity theory, Pattern theory, and Gate theory (Adams & Bromley 1998). It is the Gate Theory that is commonly used in medical terminology to discuss the pain levels of the elderly. This is because this theory focuses on many past experiences that older people have had while receiving medical care and of which dictates how they will perceive their ability to tolerate pain during their treatment. For instance, it is