Cork Study finds diagnosis of dementia is poor among elderly

A study of about 600 elderly patients admitted to six Cork hospitals found 25% had dementia of whom almost two thirds had not been previously diagnosed, with obvious implications for care.

The study authors warned that the absence of a diagnosis could lead doctors to wrongly believe patients had the capacity to understand the complex risks and benefits associated with proposed treatments. It could also lead to incorrect prescribing and result in a loss of opportunity for planning future care of a person with dementia.

“The reason we conducted this study was to support the need to change practice”, said consultant geriatrician Dr Suzanne Timmons, lead author of “Dementia in older people admitted to hospital: a regional multi-hospital observational study of prevalence, associations and case recognition”.