Worldwide, the proportion of people aged over 60 years is growing faster than any other group: the WHO expects this group to grow by 223 percent between 1970 and 2025. The consequences of aging are important for society in general, and for health care facilities and organizations in particular. A specific problem is pain, which is a serious and often unrecognized health problem among older adults. The reported prevalence of pain in the older adults varies, and may even reach 83% in nursing homes. National and international surveys show that pain is not always adequately assessed and managed. Pain being a subjective experience, self-report is usually considered the gold standard. Although tools such as numeric rating scales are appropriate for use in older adults with mild to moderate cognitive impairments, they may be of little help in persons with severe or advanced cognitive impairments.