Prevention of Pain Induced During Bed Bath in Ehpad

Residents of long-term care facilities are subjected to procedures and treatments that may be painful. The prevalence is 90% among older adults living in institutions. Preventing procedure-induced pain is essential, as the consequences can be even more harmful. Induced pain is defined as "short-term pain caused by a healthcare provider, treatment, or care, under predictable circumstances," according to the UPSA Pain Institute.

For these older adults, personal hygiene is performed in bed by nursing assistants and requires frequent handling and repositioning. It includes dressing and undressing, which are sources of pain. Despite this, these activities are repeated daily because they are essential. Addressing pain is a fundamental criterion for quality of life in older adults.

In many cases, these residents require daily premedication with analgesics to prevent pain caused by personal care. For these residents, who are already on multiple medications, the addition of analgesics increases the risk of drug interactions, leading to more frequent side effects.