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.
Warmest Aloha,
PS: I say it over and over again: There's no one more important than the caregiver in the daily life of a frail person.
When Dr. Inouye mentioned that it’s not unusual for hospital staff to not realize delirium is happening, it reinforced in me that the caregiver really needs to be aware and proactive. It makes sense that we know our loved one best and would recognize if something is not right.
She listed all of the important signs so we can recognize it early…so helpful. Thank you.
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