The unspoken condition families should know about.

Dear Doctor

There is something I heard about via the radio that I am pretty sure you are aware of if you have been a doctor for any length of time but I wasn’t aware it even existed and unfortunately I have been around far too many needed medical treatments for myself and others around me.

Anyway, what I am talking about is “hospital dementia” - a very well known (by medical staff) but barely mentioned to patients or families. You know exactly what I mean. The patient has been in the hospital far too long and starts losing their ability to think clearly and express themselves because of it.

Now, according to what I heard via the radio, once the patient returns to their normal surroundings it disappears after a while and they are able to make normal, rational decisions again and express themselves clearly. And looking back, I am pretty certain that I can remember people I knew having this condition because a short while after they got home, this vanished.

Apparently, this condition occurs because the patient gives themselves up to the system and only does what they are told to do by the staff and don’t make any decisions over themselves and they lose their ability to think and express themselves properly.

I guess that’s part of institutionalisation but even so, can I please ask why this isn’t discussed with the family at least even if you don’t want the patient to know and worry? It would make the family feel much better if you could at least consider telling them about it and letting them know that individual will be ok when they return home?

Thanks

The Invisible Patient