Pain Assessment and Management by Nurses in a Geriatric Setting: Discrepancies between Guidelines and Documented Practice.

Background: Pain is a common subjective symptom among older adults in general and among older adult residents in long-term geriatric facilities in particular. Pain diminishes older adults' quality of life and may impair their ability to recover from various illnesses. Therefore, the Israeli Ministry of Health has issued guidelines on effectively assessing and treating pain in this population.