Dementia patients "suffering in silence"

People with dementia in hospitals who experience pain are more likely to experience delirium as well, often without being able to communicate the pain they are in, finds a new UCL-led study. The study, published in Age and Ageing , found that many people with dementia in hospitals are experiencing pain, with over a third of dementia patients with delirium being unable to communicate how they are feeling.  "In the UK, almost half of people admitted to hospital over the age of 70 will have dementia. We know that they are a high-risk group for delirium and yet delirium is often under treated," said senior author Dr Liz Sampson (Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Department, UCL Psychiatry). "It's deeply troubling to think that this vulnerable group of patients are suffering in silence, unable to tell healthcare professionals that they are in pain," she said. This is the first study of this kind in a hospital setting, and suggests that pain may be a key contributing factor for delirium in people with dementia. Delirium is a state of acute confusion. It is a common and potentially serious medical condition that can particularly affect frail older people.