This letter outlines the requirements for nursing homes and other healthcare facilities to ensure that residents receive appropriate pain management services, consistent with professional standards of practice, the comprehensive person-centered care plan, and the resident’s goals and preferences. It defines pain management as recognizing when a resident is experiencing pain, evaluating the existing pain and cause, and managing or preventing pain. Strategies for pain management include assessing the potential for pain, addressing/treating the underlying causes of the pain, developing and implementing both non-pharmacological and pharmacological interventions/approaches to pain management, monitoring for effectiveness and/or adverse consequences, and modifying approaches as necessary. It also outlines the use of opioids for pain management, with caution and the lowest possible effective dosage for the shortest time possible, and cautions against combining opioids and benzodiazepines. Nursing homes and other healthcare facilities must ensure that their pain management practices follow these guidelines in order to provide the highest quality of care for their residents.

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