{"id":1069,"date":"2024-11-11T14:17:10","date_gmt":"2024-11-11T19:17:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/injurycenter.umich.edu\/michigan-safer-opioid-prescribing-toolkit\/?page_id=1069"},"modified":"2026-05-12T15:12:38","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T19:12:38","slug":"older-adults","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/injurycenter.umich.edu\/safer-prescribing-toolkit\/special-populations\/older-adults\/","title":{"rendered":"Older Adults"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Managing Pain in Older Adults<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Pain is very common in older adults (individuals greater than 65 years of age) and the proportion of older individuals experiencing pain is increasing over time.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n

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A combination of non-pharmacologic interventions<\/a> and non-opioid medications<\/a> are preferred.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Pain management in older adults requires an individualized approach that is holistic and multimodal. Short courses of opioids can be considered with the goal of improving function only if the benefits are expected to outweigh the risks. Older adults may not automatically report pain due to the assumption that pain is a normal part of aging or due to cognitive impairment. Evaluating functional status and speaking with caregivers is important in the assessment of pain in older adults. <\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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Persistent pain in older adults is commonly due to:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n