Delirium is a situation in
which a person presents with severe confusion and disorientation, often rather
quickly after some kind of change in their situation such as trauma or
hospitalization.
And it’s very common, especially among hospitalized people,
and as always, especially among the aged, in whom it’s often mistaken –
particularly by those doctors who don’t know the delirious person in a healthy
state - to be a sign of the onset of dementia.
And unfortunately, it’s often mistreated as well.
In fact, a recent study concluded that the drug most
commonly used to treat delirium is no better than placebo.
Bottom line, then: if you are elderly, or if you are a
caregiver for an elderly person who gets hospitalized, make sure you know as
much about delirium as you can.
And if you live in the Lower Mainland, the good news is
that as part of their Dialogue on Aging, with which I am associated (I’m going
to be the MC for the talk on October 16 about the importance of exercise), on
September 4, the Tapestry Foundation is presenting a talk entitled: Dodging
Delirium: Recognition, Prevention and Treatment.
If you’re around, and if you’re
interested in this issue, make sure that you register for this event at
tapestryfoundation.ca.
Trust me, you’re going to be
very glad you did.
