Mercy Mayo/Family Practice Residency Program
Dementia Recognition Program
Dr. Yogesh Shah  

This training program is to educate physicians, residents, rotating students, nurses, pharmacists, physical therapists and social services personnel to recognize and appropriately treat patients with delirium and/or dementia who are admitted to sub acute and acute care settings because of an unrelated injury or illness. Frequently, such patients are treated for the injury or illness, but the delirium is neither recognized nor treated. The failure to recognize delirium and dementia can result in pharmaceutical mistakes, falls and injuries, increased disorientation, hallucinations, decreased ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs), longer, more frequent hospital stays and greater stress on families.

Dr. Shah's initial studies indicate that 15 - 20 percent of patients admitted to Mercy Medical Center are suffering from delirium. These patients are typically elderly and frail. Symptoms of delirium often become apparent for the first time when the patient suffers acute injury or illness. For example, 30 percent of patients with hip fractures and strokes are admitted with signs of delirium. Because delirium is a medical emergency, health care providers in subacute and acute care settings need to improve their ability to diagnose this condition. Early detection and management of dementia has clinical, ethical/legal, psychological and economic dimensions.

Health care professionals receiving this training will be equipped to do the following:

- Administer screening tools to identify dementia
- Recognize the symptoms of dementia progression
- Diagnose dementing disorders (as appropriate based on scope of practice)
- Investigate behavioral interventions and pharmacological treatments
- Build relationships with team members, caregivers and family members to optimize outcomes
- Track outcomes

If interested, please contact us at gec@dmu.edu.