Acute confusion is extremely common in hospitalized older adults. One third of general medical patients who are 70 years of age or older have delirium. For more than 30 years, Dr. Sharon K. Inouye has dedicated herself to the identification and prevention of delirium in the hospital. She created the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM), the most widely used method for identification of delirium worldwide. In addition, she is the champion of the Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP). In this video, Dr. Inouye explains delirium.
Monthly Archives: August 2022
Loss of Appetite: A Fifth Vital Sign
My mother was discharged from the hospital yesterday. She was treated for a serious urine infection. Now she won’t eat. She says she’s not hungry. I’ve checked her vital signs. They all seem ok. Should I be worried? Yes, this is something to be concerned about. In previous posts we discussed the four classic vital signs. They are heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, and respiratory rate. However, normal vital signs do not tell the whole story. Appetite is an important “fifth vital sign” in frail older adults. If this patient doesn’t eat, she will become […]
The Life of a Caregiver: Ojay Part 2
In a previous video, Ojay talked about how life changed for his parents. Over a number of years they moved from being hard working adult to becoming frail seniors. Over that time, Ojay became a full time caregiver. In this video, he talks about how his life has changed and about what has given him strength.