Zeitschrift für Gerontologie und Geriatrie
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The aim was to present current knowledge about pain assessment in people with dementia and to discuss special challenges and possible solutions. ⋯ Self-report ratings should be performed as long as justifiable. Behavioural pain assessment tools should be used in advanced dementia despite their current imperfections: in particular, the PAINAD for daily use and the PACSLAC at longer intervals. All available additional information about pain should be considered.
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Patients with dementia are an important target group for palliative care since particularly in advanced stages and at the end of life they often have complex health care and psychosocial needs. However, people with dementia have inappropriate access to palliative care. So far, palliative care focuses on cancer patients. ⋯ Good communication among health care providers and with the patient and his/her family is essential to avoid unnecessary or even harmful interventions at the end of life (e.g., inserting a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy, PEG). To maintain the patient's autonomy and to deliver health care according to the individual preferences, it is important to appropriately inform the patient and the family at an early stage about the disease and problems that may occur. In this context, advanced directives can be helpful.