The cognitive impairment identifier program: a Victorian hospital alert and education program for cognitive impairment.

Abstract

Acute care hospitals are not best geared to meet the needs of patients with dementia, and the care given can be compromised. Hospitals are unfamiliar environments with routines that might increase the level of confusion in a patient with cognitive impairment. Cognitive impairment, like hearing and visual impairment, carries no visual physical stigmata; it is often under-recognized and is likely to impact on many aspects of care planning and treatment while in hospital. The lack of easy identification of patients with cognitive impairment often results in ineffective targeting of support, lost opportunities for carer engagement, and poor staff awareness of its prevalence. The hypothesis was that better identification of cognitive impairment and early intervention result in improved patient outcomes.