Dementia

[Guest]

I'm at a loss in understanding how hospitalization alone causes dementia (including vivid hallucinations) in elderly patients. I've observed this phenomenon with two elderly family members recently. No signs of dementia were present with either patient prior to hospitalization. With medication and time of occurrence (Sundown Syndrome) definitely ruled out as the cause, we're getting no explantion from the medical staff other than 'This frequently happens when elderly people are hospitalized.' Surely there's a better explantion than this, but WHAT?

[Guest]

Hospitalization often represents a significant change in surroundings, loss of orientation, combined with the medical illness that can lead to changes in the ability to interpret environmental stimuli.
[quote] I'm at a loss in understanding how hospitalization alone causes dementia (including vivid hallucinations) in elderly patients. I've observed this phenomenon with two elderly family members recently... [/quote]

[davem1952]

Here it is nearly 8 years to the date of the original post, and I am facing the same situation with my elderly hospitalized mother, who also exhibited no signs of dementia prior to admission. I understand that being hospitalized may interrupt the normal interpretation of environmental stimuli; this is exacerbated by mother's blindness. Which, unfortunately, negates the only piece of practical advice I found for helping the situation: Make sure the patient has his/her eyeglasses. Have no new developments taken place in the interim since the original post? I'd appreciate any practical advice. Such as, is it better just to humor the patient and go along with the fantasies, or constantly correct her, pointing out the truth of the situation? As the length of the hospitalization extends, does the likelihood of returning to prior lucidity diminish if the dementia is simply recognized as an unfortunate "side effect" of hospitalization? Are there any concrete steps I can take to either help the immediate situation, or prevent the dementia from becoming chronic? Thank you in advance for any timely response.