Since 2012/13, Alberta's Quality Indicator rates for residents whose pain worsened and residents whose mood from symptoms of depression worsened have been higher than the national average and are the second highest of all provinces and territories reporting to CIHI (lower percentage is better).
Provincial Seniors Health and Continuing Care, formerly the Seniors Health Strategic Clinical Network, was provided with grant-funding from Alberta Health from October 2018 – March 2022 to develop education and resources to support teams in Long Term Care and Supportive Living to address resident pain and mood distress.
These resources, including e-learning modules, journey maps, digital stories and infosheets, are available in the table below. Bundles of interventions, involving a range of disciplines, can improve resident comfort and well-being.
Pain can be expressed as calling out, aggression, agitation and wandering. Common contributors to pain, once recognized, can be improved with supportive strategies and sometimes, medications.
It can be challenging to differentiate between dementia, pain and depressive mood. Identifying root causes is key.
Side-effects can cause pain and mood distress; harms often outweigh benefits for persons with frailty and life-limiting illnesses, including dementia.
