Pneumonia in Nursing Home Patients. Pneumonia is a common infection among nursing home residents. It is also a serious infection, with 30-day mortality rates estimated at between 10 and 30 percent. TIPS ABOUT DIAGNOSIS AND…

Delirium in the ICU is a disturbance in consciousness characterized by an acute onset of impaired cognitive function with a fluctuating course. The pathophysiology is poorly understood but thought to be related to an imbalance…

Dyspnea is a common symptom in patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), with increasing prevalence at the end of life. Dyspneic patients experience difficult, labored, or uncomfortable breathing and often describe breathlessness, air…

Dentures for Older Adults. Many older adults suffer from poor dentition, and dental care is a major geriatric concern. Tooth loss can be caused by periodontal disease, tooth decay, and trauma. Other contributing factors can…

Not all Dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. Here are some tips for recognizing Non-Alzheimer’s Dementia syndromes. TIPS FOR RECOGNIZING NON-ALZHEIMER'S DEMENTIA SYNDROMES When patients are being evaluated because of cognitive impairment, consider causes other than Alzheimer's…

Research has demonstrated an association between hearing loss and low scores on both verbal and non-verbal cognitive tests in older adults. Hearing loss affects 2/3 of adults over 70. Most standardized cognitive assessment tests used…

A pressure ulcer is a localized injury that results from unrelieved pressure on the skin and underlying tissue. These ulcers usually occur over bony prominences such as the sacrum, ischial tuberosities, greater trochanters, heels, and…

Hoarding disorder is the accumulation of possessions and persistent difficulty discarding them, regardless of their actual value. Significant distress is associated with attempts to discard possessions, creating a large volume of items that can be…

Motivational interviewing (MI) is an approach to counseling that aims to strengthen a person's motivation and commitment to behavior change by helping them resolve their ambivalence about the change. MI fosters a partnership between clinicians…

Hyponatremia, defined as serum sodium level less than 135mEq/L, is one of the most common electrolyte abnormalities seen in older adults. In one study, more than 50% of patients in acute geriatric wards were found…