A nursing student is planning care for an older patient who is experiencing pain.Which of the following statements made by the nursing student indicates the need for the nursing professor to clarify the nursing student's knowledge?

A) "Older patients often have difficulty determining what is causing their pain."
B) "It is safe to administer opioids to older persons as long as you start with small doses and frequently assess the patient's response to the medication."
C) "As adults age,their ability to perceive pain decreases."
D) "Patients who have dementia probably experience pain,and their pain is not always well controlled."

Question

Tajiri Redden · Accepted Answer

Final Answer : C, Explanation :  Aging does not affect the ability to perceive pain.Sometimes older persons have difficulty interpreting their pain and determining its cause because multiple diseases and vague symptoms affect similar parts of the body.Opioids are safe to use in older persons as long as they are slowly titrated and the nurse frequently monitors the patient.Current evidence shows that patients with dementia probably experience unrelieved pain because their pain is difficult to assess.

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