Table of contents
- Introduction
- Defining pain
- Alberta nursing homes with highest percentage of residents with pain
- Considerations for choosing a nursing home
Introduction
Pain affects both physical and mental health. Physically, it can hinder rehabilitation from injuries or surgeries and complicate the management of chronic conditions by discouraging activity and leading to a sedentary lifestyle. This can result in a decline in physical health and increased dependency on care staff. Mentally, chronic pain is associated with an increased risk of psychological conditions, including depression and anxiety, creating a cycle that can be difficult to break.
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Understanding the percentage of residents experiencing pain is important when choosing a nursing home because it directly reflects the quality of care provided.
Unmanaged or poorly managed pain can diminish a resident's quality of life, restricting mobility and social interactions, leading to physical decline, and increasing the risk of depression and anxiety. A high prevalence of unmanaged pain may signal issues with staff training, resource allocation, or care strategies.
Defining pain
The assessment of pain in long-term care facilities is based upon calculating the percentage of residents documented as experiencing moderate pain daily, or excruciating pain at any frequency.
Pain documentation includes instances when residents felt pain during the observation period, even if subsequent analgesic treatment alleviated it. However, cases where residents did not experience pain due to effective ongoing medication regimens are not recorded as instances of pain.
The calculation involves all residents who reported moderate to severe pain, divided by the total number of residents who underwent valid assessments. There are no exclusions; every assessed resident is included in the analysis, irrespective of their pain management treatment.
The goal is a lower percentage, signaling effective pain management strategies that minimize the number of residents suffering from significant pain. This metric serves as a critical indicator of the quality of care and the effectiveness of pain management protocols within these facilities.
Alberta nursing homes with highest percentage of residents with pain
Below are five top nursing homes with the highest percentage of residents who have moderate daily pain or horrible/excruciating pain at any frequency.
- 🥇 Masterpiece Southland Meadows ranks first at 72% for the highest percentage of residents with pain
- 🥈 Willow Square Continuing Care Centre ranks second at 35% for the highest percentage of residents with pain
- 🥉 Coaldale Health Centre ranks third at 33% for the highest percentage of residents with pain
- Smoky Lake Healthcare Centre ranks fourth at 32% for the highest percentage of residents with pain
- Citadel Care Centre ranks fifth at 28% for the highest percentage of residents with pain
Considerations for choosing a nursing home
In evaluating a nursing home, it is important to consider the facility’s pain management strategies and the effectiveness of these measures.
A focus on pain management can help ensure a safer and more supportive environment, ultimately promoting the health and well-being of residents.
Learn performance indicators for Alberta nursing homes:
- 💊 Potentially inappropriate use of antipsychotics
- 🔒 Potentially excessive use of physical restraints
- 🤕 Fall risk
- 🦽 Worsened physical functioning
- 🩹 Worsened pressure ulcers
- 😣 Pain
- ☹️ Worsened depressive mood
Learn demographic profiles of Alberta nursing homes: