CONTENTS

Table of Contents
Introduction

1. Overview
2. Recognizing Alcohol Misuse and Abuse in Older Adults
3. Alcohol and Aging
4. Diagnosing Alcohol Problems in Older Adults
5. Recognizing Other Forms of Substance Abuse
6. Prevention and Early Intervention Strategies
7. Treatment
8. Outcomes and Cost Issues in Alcohol Treatment for Older Adults
9. Legal and Ethical Issues

Supplements
Resources

At Any Age, It Does Matter:
Substance Abuse and Older Adults (for Professionals)

Delirium

Delirium is a potentially life-threatening illness that requires acute intervention, usually hospitalization. The cognitive losses experienced with delirium, unlike the effects of dementia, can often be reversed with proper medical treatment. Delirium, also known as acute confusional state and acute brain syndrome, is an alteration of mental status that can usually be reversed with medical treatment.

Symptoms presented may occur in any combination and may be intermittent. The Confusion Assessment Method (CAM)⁶² is widely used as a brief, sensitive, and reliable screening measure for detecting delirium. A positive delirium screen should be followed by careful clinical diagnostics based on DSM-IV criteria. Any associated cognitive impairment should be followed clinically using the MMSE.