Citation

Leah V, Ngwu L. Nurs. Older People 2023; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, RCN Publishing)

DOI

10.7748/nop.2023.e1418

PMID

36810921

Abstract

Delirium, which may present as acute fluctuation in arousal and attention and changes in a person's behaviours, can increase the risk of falls, while a fall can increase the risk of developing delirium. There is, therefore, a fundamental relationship between delirium and falls. This article describes the main types of delirium and the challenges associated with recognition of the condition and discusses the relationship between delirium and falls. The article also describes some of the validated tools used to screen patients for delirium and includes two brief case studies to illustrate this in practice.

Language: en

Keywords

mental health; falls; older people; cognitive impairment; delirium; patient assessment; patients; professional