Understanding Pain in Older Age (2015)

This thought-provoking feature documentary will make you think twice before assuming that older adults who complain about pain are doing it just to get attention. Approximately 100 million American adults report living in chronic pain: this number is higher than the combined total number of individuals living with cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Yet, such an important public health concern is not usually well-addressed, especially with older adults. This movie gives us a way to go through the pain of older age vicariously as we view footage collected by young people on older adults who cope with pain on a daily basis, with or without the use of medications. Additionally, Dr. Luciana interviews pain experts and practitioners. Revealing footage with these professionals suggests controversial pain management strategies. For instance, the safest bet for an individual in pain could be to consult a veterinarian, as stated by a medical doctor. Dr. Luciana's attentive questioning of experts on why we are often unable to successfully manage or at least minimize pain in older age is complemented by her humorous interviewing style.