Understanding the relationship between pain & dementia is complex and poses a challenge to care managers daily. This paper sets out to discuss the main issues with assessing pain for those living with dementia and how these can be overcome.

“The ability to assess pain for those living with dementia is fundamental to the provision of high-quality care. Research highlighted in this paper shows that to date there have been challenges, particularly for those using paper-based system, about how possible it has been to record and gather data on pain assessments, and to use these actively in the management of pain.

However, the paper helpfully outlines the role that digital technology can have going forward. It advocates the harnessing of the power of digital to eliminate some of the inconsistencies that have existed in the recording of pain, which once addressed enables the facilitation of proper pain management techniques for people living with dementia.”- Vic Rayner, Executive Director, National Care Forum.