Policy Opportunities to Support Family Caregivers Managing Pain in People with Dementia

The inherent challenges of an aging population and increased frailty include physical, social, psychological, and cognitive issues and associated complexities. With the growing population of persons living with dementia (PLWD), the need for continued support of family caregivers for these individuals also grows. Chronic pain is a common problem among older adults. The 2016 Global Burden of Disease Study reported pain as the leading cause of disability and disease burden globally (Vos et al., 2017). Pain management is a key aspect of the family caregiver role, but many family caregivers need education, support, and training to ensure that their loved ones' pain-related needs are addressed. As the demand for family caregiving increases, policymakers must acknowledge the expanding surrogacy role that caregivers play with PLWD and develop policies to address this need. This paper reviews the problem of pain in PLWD and the family caregiver's role. Two pieces of legislation—the Older Americans Act and the Recognize, Assist, Include, Support and Engage (RAISE) Family Caregivers Act—are reviewed as opportunities for pain management nursing policy advocacy.