title: Inclusion of carers when confused relatives are admitted to hospital.
abstract: It is well recognised that many older people have dementia but have never been investigated or received a formal diagnosis. If they are admitted to acute hospitals from their own homes or long-term care settings with confusion and little background information about their usual condition, it can be challenging for staff to determine if they have dementia, delirium, delirium superimposed on pre-existing dementia or confusion with a reversible cause such as vitamin deficiency. A careful history and information seeking from carers or family members about their loved one's pre-admission baseline can inform nursing and medical assessments and help nurses to provide high quality care.
authors.affiliation: St Michael's Hospital, Dun Laoghaire, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Jeanette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barber
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers; D003256:Community Participation / Q000379:methods*; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000451:nursing*; D005190:Family; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008487:Medical History Taking; D008875:Middle Aged; D011368:Professional-Family Relations
keywords: Acute settings; carers; confusion; delirium; dementia; person-centred care