A Dutch study assessing the effect of paracetamol on quality of life, functioning, care dependency, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and pain in persons with advanced dementia living in long-term care facilities.
There are no proven effective interventions regarding quality of life (QoL) for persons with dementia in long-term care facilities (LTCF). However, several interventions are effective in diminishing mediators of QoL (i.e., challenging behaviour, depressed mood, sleeping disorders), including pain treatment. Un(der)diagnosed and un(der)treated pain is a serious and common problem in persons with dementia. And although pain is difficult to assess in this group, the impact on QoL is probably considerable. There is evidence that pain has a negative impact on behaviour, mood, functioning and social participation, and benefit may be derived from use of paracetamol.
Aims of the Q-PID study: to evaluate the effect of scheduled pain treatment with paracetamol on QoL, neuropsychiatric symptoms, pain, care dependency and daily functioning in persons with advanced dementia living in long-term care facilities.