{"id":5679,"date":"2023-08-11T15:47:56","date_gmt":"2023-08-11T15:47:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/?page_id=5679"},"modified":"2026-03-18T16:13:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T16:13:16","slug":"delirium","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/health-advice\/delirium\/","title":{"rendered":"Delirium and dementia: symptoms, causes and treatment"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Delirium is a state of sudden, intense confusion that can make people increasingly anxious, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/health-advice\/coping-with-distress\/\">distressed<\/a> and disorientated. Delirium is not the same as dementia, but it is common in older people and those living with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/about-dementia\/what-is-dementia\/\">dementia<\/a>. Delirium is often triggered by treatable underlying causes such as infection, pain or dehydration, and is a serious medical issue that requires attention.<\/p>\n<p>Our specialist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/how-we-can-support-you\/what-is-an-admiral-nurse\/\">Admiral Nurses<\/a> explain the signs to be aware of and how you can help a person with dementia who is experiencing delirium.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"what\"><\/a>What is delirium?<\/h2>\n<p>Delirium is a state of intense mental confusion that comes on suddenly. It can have a big impact on the way a person behaves and functions, especially if they have dementia.<\/p>\n<p>People with delirium typically become confused and\/or disorientated and have difficulty concentrating. It can be very distressing for the person experiencing it and their carers.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"types\"><\/a>Types of delirium<\/h2>\n<p>There are three types of delirium: hyperactive, hypoactive and mixed. For older people, including those with dementia, hypoactive and mixed delirium are the most common.<\/p>\n<h3>Acute delirium<\/h3>\n<p>Sometimes, delirium is described as &#8216;acute delirium&#8217;, however this is not a different type. Delirium is, by nature, acute, in that it comes on suddenly and often severely. It is sometimes referred to as &#8216;acute confusional state&#8217;.<\/p>\n<h3>Hyperactive delirium<\/h3>\n<p>Hyperactive delirium causes confusion that fluctuates throughout the day. A person who is experiencing hyperactive delirium may:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>hallucinate: for example, seeing or hearing things that are not really there<\/li>\n<li>be restless or agitated: they may fidget, make repetitive movements, pace or seem unable to stay still<\/li>\n<li>be resistant to receiving support or personal care, possibly becoming aggressive towards their carers<\/li>\n<li>be unusually wary of other people<\/li>\n<li>believe that people are trying to harm them<\/li>\n<li>not recognise where they are, or who the people around them are<\/li>\n<li>be confused about the time or day<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Hypoactive delirium<\/h3>\n<p>Hypoactive delirium is characterised by the person becoming less responsive. They may:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>be unusually sleepy and hard to rouse<\/li>\n<li>struggle to focus when they are awake<\/li>\n<li>lack appetite<\/li>\n<li>seem withdrawn, sluggish or tired<br \/>\nmove around less<\/li>\n<li>interact less with the people around them<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Mixed delirium<\/h3>\n<p>When someone is experiencing mixed delirium, they will have symptoms of both hyperactive and hypoactive delirium and may switch between them. A person with mixed delirium may be sleepy and unfocused one day, and agitated and restless the next.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"symptoms\"><\/a>Symptoms of delirium<\/h2>\n<p>It can be difficult to recognise delirium in people with\u202fdementia because many of the symptoms are similar: for example, confusion, memory loss and problems with concentration. However, it is important to know the signs and seek medical help quickly if you spot them.<\/p>\n<h3>How to spot symptoms of delirium in someone living with dementia<\/h3>\n<p>The symptoms of delirium may be cognitive (affecting the person\u2019s ability to remember, think and communicate), behavioural and\/or physical. They include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>a sudden change in mental state and\/or behaviour<\/li>\n<li>disorientation: much more unsure of where they are or what day\/time it is<\/li>\n<li>paranoia and false beliefs, such as thinking someone is trying to harm them<\/li>\n<li>poor concentration &#8211; unable to focus on a conversation with anyone<\/li>\n<li>sudden increased memory loss<\/li>\n<li>memory loss<\/li>\n<li>unusual drowsiness &#8211; often missed or put down to tiredness<\/li>\n<li>feeling agitated and seeming much more restless<\/li>\n<li>irritability or aggression (eg shouting)<\/li>\n<li>hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not there)<\/li>\n<li>difficulty speaking clearly and following conversations<\/li>\n<li>vivid dreams \u2013 waking up and unable to settle when this is unusual for them<\/li>\n<li>physical changes, for example, in appetite, thirst or mobility<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/health-advice\/dementia-and-falls\/\">falls<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Older people with delirium and dementia often need longer stays in hospital, are more prone to falls or accidents, and are more likely to\u202fbe moved into a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/specialist-diagnosis-and-support\/considering-a-care-home-for-a-person-with-dementia\/\">care home<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>How does delirium differ from dementia?<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Dementia<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Develops slowly over months or years<\/li>\n<li>Is a long-term condition that gradually worsens<\/li>\n<li>Symptoms are usually similar from day to day<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Delirium<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Starts suddenly, often within one or two days<\/li>\n<li>Can improve quickly with the right treatment<\/li>\n<li>Symptoms may change a lot throughout the day<\/li>\n<li>Is a medical emergency that needs urgent care<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Important to know<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>These differences apply to most people, but there can be exceptions. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/types-of-dementia\/dementia-with-lewy-bodies\/\">Dementia with Lewy bodies<\/a> (DLB) can have symptoms similar to delirium. It may be hard to tell the difference without knowing how long symptoms have been present.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Delirium is a state of sudden, intense confusion that can make people increasingly anxious, distressed and disorientated. Delirium is not the same as dementia, but it is common in older people and those living with dementia. Delirium is often triggered by treatable underlying causes such as infection, pain or dehydration, and is a serious medical [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":2400,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5679","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.0 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Delirium and dementia: symptoms, causes and treatment - Dementia UK<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Find out more about delirium including symptoms, progression, diagnosis and more as well as the support available to you.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/health-advice\/delirium\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Delirium and dementia: symptoms, causes and treatment\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Dementia UK is a charity that provides Admiral Nurses for families affected by dementia. 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