The most reliable way for us to know that a resident is in pain is if they tell
us they are. As we have mentioned before, this doesn't always happen, but when
it does, we begin by determining the intensity, quality (such as "sharp" or "burning"
pain), location, and duration of the pain. We have various scales and charts that
can help us do this. We may ask a resident to rate the intensity of their pain
from one to ten, either verbally or by showing a line with numbers on it. To learn
about the quality of the pain, we may show or say words like "aching" or "throbbing"
and ask the resident to select the appropriate description. If a resident has
trouble explaining where the pain is located, showing a simplified body chart
and asking the resident to point to the affected area can be helpful.
