Guidance for the assessment of pain in older adults: a literature review.

This paper presents guidance for the assessment of pain in older adults, which was developed as a collaborative project by the British Pain Society and the British Geriatric Society. The guidance was published in November 2007 and was designed to provide health professionals with practical skills to assess pain as the first step towards its effective management. The guidance did not seek to differentiate between acute and persistent pain as the literature relating to pain in older people renders such distinction impractical. The next stage will involve the development of guidance for the management of pain in older adults, which will commence this year.