). Having a
dementing condition may also put the person at increasedrisk of acute confusion, as the incidence of delirium is greater
in people with dementia (Weber et al., 2004). The average
incidence rate for acute confusion among hospitalized older
people over the age of 65 is 40% (Weber et al., 2004).
However, this may be a conservative figure as Fick and
4Foreman (2000) suggest that as many as seven out of 10
patients with delirium are going undetected. Failure to detect
dementia and delirium will affect the choice of treatment and
strategies used to care for and manage these people.