Cognitive Decline Not Unusual after Hospitalization of Older Adults
Sometimes an older adult experiences a noticeable cognitive decline post-hospitalization. Families and caregivers are left wanting to know what happened and wondering if their loved one will ever be cognitively the same as they were before hospitalization. Each case is unique, but according to many studies, the cognitive functioning of some elders may not fully recover from the trauma.
Why are some elders subject to returning home from a hospitalization cognitively worse? Experts are studying this problem with varying results, but many agree that there are multiple conditions at play that can result in an elderly person suffering cognitive decline after a hospitalization. Although there is no conclusive evidence that a hospitalization can lead to dementia, the medical community calls the condition “hospital delirium,” a condition that the American Geriatrics Society estimates affects about one-third of patients over 70, particularly those who are in intensive care or who undergo surgery.
A Personal Experience
My first encounter with this happened many years ago. My dad went into surgery to relieve pressure on his brain caused by fluid buildup behind scar tissue from a World War II injury. Dad went into surgery after being told that it would prevent dementia. He came out of surgery in a severe state of dementia…
Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories. “For anyone having to walk the last segments of life with a loved one, read this.” …Delores
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