Differentiating between dementia, delirium and depression in older people

Older people can find hospital stays challenging and distressing. When their presenting symptoms make it challenging for healthcare professionals to differentiate between dementia, delirium and depression, their experience may be increasingly distressing, and can result in delays in diagnosis and treatment, as well as an increased risk of morbidity. This article considers each of the conditions of dementia, delirium and depression, their presenting features and how nurses can differentiate between them to enable comprehensive assessment, diagnosis and treatment in older people.