ABSTRACT
Delirium is a common condition encountered in the care of older adults. Delirium is an acute mental status change that is characterized by a disorder of attention and cognitive function that is typically a consequence of a medical condition. Despite differences in terminology, there are many other reasons that delirium is insufficiently diagnosed, and this is more pronounced in older adults. Coexisting dementia combined with lack of understanding of baseline mental status by healthcare providers may lead to assumptions that symptoms related to delirium are normal. Delirium is commonly missed in clinical practice, and so familiarity of the key features is extremely important. Patients with delirium may have lethargy or decreased arousal, while others may be hyperalert or hypervigilant. Medications are a leading cause of delirium, especially in older adults. Older patients are often on multiple medications and are typically more at risk for adverse effects from medications.
