Delirium and Dementia are the 2 most common problems that impact wellness and recovery for elderly patients in acute care.

Delirium is the most common ‘psychiatric disorder’ in the hospital setting.

• Delirium is estimated to affect more than 2.3 million older hospitalized patients annually, with costs of care 2.5 times higher than for those patients without delirium.
• Left undetected in elderly patients, or under treated it can lead to trajectories other than returning to independent or assisted living and may take a full year for recovery from cognitive impacts affecting quality of life.

The presence of dementia complicates management of patients in acute care because of multiple environmental changes and demands that exceed the patient’s ability to cope.

• Nursing routines must be modified to fit with windows of time that allow the patient to cooperate at their best with care required.

These resources support the translation of concepts once learned in school that now impact the complex care needs of patients and environments in which you work to deliver care that is both high-tech and high-touch.