For older adults undergoing surgery, delirium is a common and serious complication. Delirium—especially an extended episode—may cause an older adult to be hospitalized for longer, to lose physical or cognitive function, to have a delayed or partial recovery, or even to die.
Learn more in the September issue of CARE Connections, the monthly newsletter of the School of Nursing’s Center for Aging Research and Education. Here’s an excerpt:
“In the clinical world, we don’t have a way to predict which patients will be at the greatest risk for severe delirium after surgery,” says Heidi Lindroth, PhD, RN. “This combination of tools gives a much-needed emphasis on the spectrum of delirium and a blueprint forward for future research into validation of our new tool.”
This month’s CARE Connections also includes profiles of CARE Affiliate Kimberly Mueller, PhD and TBSN student Gabby Douglas, the recipient of this year’s CARE undergraduate scholarship, plus news and upcoming events relevant to older adult health.
Sign up to receive future issues by email on the CARE website.
This post was authored by Diane Farsetta on 09/30/2019.