In the New York Times on June 24th, Pam Belluck reported on the risk that elderly patients may become confused and delirious while in the hospital. She offered suggestions for family caregivers on how to assist their loved ones from suffering irreversible or serious complications.
The elderly frequently develop hospital delirium (about 70% in research). When I was writing Taking Charge: Good Medical Care for the Elderly and How to Get It, I read one study that said that delirium was missed as a diagnosis about 95% of the time, even though the nursing notes usually carried enough information that a doctor should have called it right. Unfortunately, the consequences of delirium can be serious: these detrimental consequences are common:
Continue reading "Delirium | Why family caregivers need to assist in diagnosis & prevention" »
