EP65: Atypical Presentation Of Illness In Older Adults

<p>"Atypical Presentation of Illness when an older adult has an illness or condition that doesn’t show up in the typical textbook definition/ ways."<br /> - Jamie Smith, MSN, FNP<br /> <br /> “Mrs. Jones just isn’t ‘right’ today”. Subtle, non-specific changes in an older adult may be the first sign that family members and caregivers see when an older adult is developing an illness. In today’s episode, we will talk about how changes in mental status (hypo- and hyperactive delirium) can be the first sign of an infection, how some infections are show up differently for younger and older adults (e.g., bladder infections), and how depression shows up differently for younger and older adults.<br /> <br /> Jamie Smith MSN, FNP, in this episode of This Is Getting Old: Moving Towards an Age-Friendly World, highlights some salient points on how to recognize atypical presentations of illness among older adults.<br /> <br /> <strong>Part One Of 'Atypical Presentation Of Illness In Older Adults'.<br /> <br /></strong>What Is Atypical Presentation Of Illness?<br /> <br /> Conventional healthcare education teaches the typical symptoms of common illnesses. However, for older adults, these common illnesses do not show up in the same way. The symptoms are usually subtler and less specific than in younger adults and often are first noticed as a change in mental status, energy level or function (such as a fall or a new onset of losing control of their bladder (incontinence)).<br /> <br /> Atypical Presentation of Illness means that an older adult will have little or no typical signs and symptoms that usually indicate a specific illness or diagnosis. Failure to investigate atypical presentations in older patients, and identify the true medical problem, may result in undesirable outcomes, inaccurate diagnoses, and the wrong treatment for the illness.<br /> Delirium is one way an illness may show up (or “present”) and has been attributed to adverse health outcomes.<br /> <br /> <strong>The Seriousness Of Deliriousness: Delirium In Olde