When seniors suffer
Two years ago, Cornell helped establish an evidence-based center in New York City called the Translational Research Institute for Pain in Later Life (TRIPLL) to help older adults prevent and manage their pain. The center has launched a blog to share research-based information to help those dealing with chronic pain that covers the latest pain research and shares stories of people living and coping with chronic pain.
“Poorly treated pain has profound consequences for older adults,” said Weill Cornell Medical Center geriatrician and TRIPLL director Dr. M. Cary Reid. He estimates that as many as 40 percent of seniors living independently in the U.S. suffer from chronic pain.
“Unfortunately, older adults and their doctors often dismiss chronic pain as part of aging, causing it to be neglected,” he said. “We want to raise this overlooked issue and improve how we treat pain in older adults.”