Hospital Delirium: Cognitive Decline After Hospitalization
In the expected course of treatment, people are hospitalized because they are ill. Then, barring a terminal condition, they are released because they are better. Once home, people recover further and continue on with their lives as well as their original illness allows them to. Unfortunately, with elderly people, this best-case scenario doesn’t always happen.
Cognitive Decline Following Hospitalization
Sometimes a senior 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…
Continue reading on Agingcare for more about hospital delirium and what to watch for:
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Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories.
An inspiring read for caregivers! Minding Our Elders is a series of stories about caregiving. But it is much more than that. It’s a book that helps us view aging and community through the lens of someone well versed in eldercare. Author Carol Bradley Bursack has been a caregiver for a neighbor and six elderly members of her family. These experiences made her the perfect person to interview and share the stories of friends and acquaintances. Through crisp writing and a sharp focus, we enter the lives of those struggling to care for loved ones with dementia and other age-related illnesses. As I read Minding Our Elders, I felt myself filling up with both appreciation and admiration for those who adopt the caregiving role. In addition, I was struck with the inherent value Carol sees in our elders. This is a well-written book that will stir your heart! …Ann Campanella
