Can you get dementia from a hospital stay?

Many elders get delirium when they are in the hospital and especially when undergoing anesthesia. My 90 y.o. dad just went thru this as well. Unfortunately, the older they are and with underlying conditions, sometimes the delirium can be the start of a cognitive decline or sometimes the delirium is temporary. It can take a while to get better, even once they are home - when my dad was a tad younger, he got it after gallbladder surgery and subsequent rehab stay. Once he was home, about a week or so later, it was gone. This time, unfortunately, because he also has PD, he transitioned from rehab to fulltime skilled nursing home, and the cognitive issues have gotten worse. We have an apt with a new neuro tomorrow to assess. But I would speak to her doctor and ask about the delirium and what to expect in your mom's particular case - it can get better or it may not at 94. I know how hard it is to see this type of decline especially in someone previously so independent, that was my dad too.

Same thing happened to my mom who was living by herself, doing everything without any help at 84 years old until she went to the hospital for a very bad UTI they claimed that she stop walking so she was sent to rehab for 16 days, she came back not walking, can't stand up without 2 people and is wetting herself....very strange 🤔

Some people are more sensitive to anesthetics than others. I have a history of taking an unusually long time in recovery because of this, so when I had hernia surgery a few months ago (at age 75), I talked with the anesthesiologist about it before surgery. After surgery I woke up on the cart and was talking with the nurse as they wheeled me back to the recovery room, vs. my normal routine of being zonked out for a couple of hours. About an hour later the anesthesiologist dropped by to see how I was doing. He told me that he had monitored my brain waves very closely, and was able to keep me under for surgery with half the usual dose of anesthetics. Instead of hanging around the surgery center for several hours feeling loopy and unable to stay awake, I was being driven home within an hour of surgery.

If you know you are sensitive to anesthetics, it pays to talk to the anesthesiologist about this before surgery.

My dad, Rest his soul now, got a dementia style reaction when they changed out his meds one for another. The Dr said it couldn't happen, but when I flushed the new ones and told the Dr to find another med, my dad came back! I'm not saying this is your case, but it's worth checking in to.

I had gallbladder surgery last December, and it messed me up for a good month. Not delirium, per se, but I didn't feel normal in the head for a solid four weeks. I'm only 61 and in good health otherwise, but I had back surgery when I was 47, and it affected me that way, too.

At some point you decide whether hospital trips are worth the side effects of delirium. My mom conked her head and split it open, and by the time I got to the hospital an hour after she got there, she was out of her mind crazy. She was yowling and crying and throwing such hysterics that they decided to release her after having already admitted her. She had one more lengthy hospital stay 18 months later with similar effects, and after that I said we were done with hospitals and we'd treat her as best as possible at her nursing home. I put her on hospice, she had better care than she'd had in a Covid-choked hospital, and she died peacefully in her own bed seven months later -- a year ago today.

dontknow20: Many elders unfortunately acquire hospital delirium, especially with the use of anesthesia. Your mother had a total of 20 days where she was in the hospital bed and/or the rehabilitation facility. That, in conjunction with medications changed, could have had an effect.

It is hospital delirium and is very upsetting to the person going through it because they know something is wrong with them but not sure what and so dont know what to do to a get better. Its also very upseting to their loved ones because there is nothing we can do. We can however try to console them and love them and tell them thats its just temporary and tell her....she's getting better every day and it will go away soon. And lots of long hugs go a long way to let them feel that you are always there for them no matter what. I would also look into her meds and see what new ones they put her on and see if they are necessary and research them. I have found that the hospital delirium does go away usually but you never know how long it will take. Just give her all the love she deserves and a big hug from me please.........Gloria

My mom is 92 and had the same thing happen to her after being in Transitional Care for 10 weeks during Covid, after a hospitalization from a fall and broken wrist, that was 16 months ago. I am afraid the isolation and having absolutely no control over anything for that long caused my mom's decline and delirium.

Emotionally she is still struggling and came home just like your mom wearing incontinence briefs, using a walker and needing constant care, feeling helpless and sometimes, hopeless. I have tried everything but we just can't get back where she was.

My mom also fixates on things, has OCD behaviors and is getting to the point that she can't do anything for herself. I hope that your mom recovers. If I could do things over I certainly would never allowed her to stay in the TCU for so long.

She was hospitalized twice in the past 8 weeks, suffered delirium both times and came home with more decline. At least this time I was keenly aware of delirium from hospitalizations and did everything possible to advocate for her for a quick release, home, I will never put her in a TCU again or allow anyone I care about to go to one. I was pleasantly surprised that most of the doctors we had these last two times were keenly aware of what hospitalizations can do to an elderly person and were in agreement about getting her home. We have also decided that if something happens we will not be going back to the hospital and have started hospice.

I empathize with you and pray that your mom comes around. It may take time. In the meantime concentrate on keeping her safe and happy. You are doing all you can for her and some things are out of our control. She is lucky to have you. I am hoping with posts like yours we can educate others on this very important subject.

if the surgeon used general anesthesia, it may be POCD, post operation dysfunction.

Talk to her doctor about this. Does her doctor agree with the change of medications? It sounds like the old ones were better for her. Do you think it would be helpful for her to get physical therapy for walking if she didn't need the walker before the hospital stay? This is very sad. Hopefully she'll recover and be back to normal soon. Changes of location and routine take a lot out of seniors, hospitalization and anesthesia also often take a toll. If things don't get better soon, you must be prepared to evaluate how much caregiving your mother needs now and how much you can do for your mother as a caregiver. It may be necessary for her to have additional in-home caregivers or move to an assisted living facility. Talk to her right away about taking over her finances, if you're not already doing this. It may be a relief to her. Have all bills sent to your address (if you are not living in the same place). Make sure all of her paperwork is in order if this is not already done. She needs to set up powers of attorney for medical and financial matters, a living will with her medical directives, and a will if she has assets. I'm assuming you are her POA. You also need to be on file with Social Security and Medicare to be able to speak on her behalf. You can do this with a phone call with her sitting beside you. All the best to you both, and best wishes to your mother for a full recovery.

It could be hospital induced delirium My mom had the same thing happen and it has been a long stretch back. Ask for cognitive therapy to help with the confusion. So sorry you and your mama are experiencing this. Sending good thoughts

Change of medicines, anesthesia and a hospital stay could easily affect someone's mental capacity, IMO.

I'm also going to guess that they've put her on a daily dose of Mira Lax which seems to be the go-to for elderly constipation and is horrible for people with dementia.

My 95 yo mother was put on Mira Lax after extreme constipation following a hip surgery in early 2020 and I was giving it to her daily. Very quickly, her dementia got worse with delusions and sundowning for hours every night. After some research, I took her off of the Mira Lax and began to give her Milk of Magnesia. The difference has been amazing. No more sundowning, no more hallucinations or delusions. It took a few months for her to recover from the Polyethylene Glycol that was in her brain, but it's so much better now.