One of the many drawbacks of having dementia or alzheimer's is losing vocabulary.  The person mixes up words, has difficulty articulating, and in some cases can only speak very little if at all.  Dementia patients tend to get ignored in facilities and/or get overlooked due to their behaviors. But what
happens if this person needs to tell someone that they're experiencing physical pain?  We can imagine how difficult it would be to be in that position. The first thing we must do
as the caregiver of someone with dementia is to be aware that they might have physical pain. We must be conscious of it as a possible explanation for their behavior. There are signs
that we as the caregivers can watch for that are cues for pain. 

1. Watch for facial expressions - squinting, wincing, grimacing, rapid blinking, closed or wide open eyes.
2. Watch for body movements - crawling into a fetal position, wringing of the hands, a pattern of unusual behavior.
3. Unusual vocalizations - heavier breathing, calling out, swearing, moaning.
4. Changes in mood or personality - crying, anger, irritability.

If you discover that your loved one has pain, these few tips will help in approaching it:

1. Always ask first if you need to touch the area that has pain.
2. Always apologize if you cause that person pain.
3. If you can't determine where the pain is, try gently touching an area of the body and asking, "does this hurt?".

Those afflicted with dementia depend on their caregivers for everything.  Assessing and recognizing pain in those with dementia is one of our jobs as the caregiver.