Acute Care Division (ACD)

Clinical Practice Guidelines for the
Management of Delirium in Older People

Developed by the Clinical Epidemiology and Health Service Evaluation Unit, Melbourne Health in collaboration with the Delirium Clinical Guidelines Expert Working Group Commissioned on behalf of the Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council (AHMAC), by the AHMAC Health Care of Older Australians Standing Committee (HCOASC).

ISBN 0731162757

Published by the Victorian Government Department of Human Services, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on behalf of AHMAC.
Copies of this document can be obtained from:

The HCOASC Secretariat Department of Health and Ageing
MDP 126
GPO Box 9848
Canberra City ACT 2601

The HCOASC Secretariat
Metropolitan Health and Aged Care Services
Department of Human Services
GPO Box 4057
Melbourne VIC 3000

This document may be downloaded from the Department of Human Services website at www.health.vic.gov.au/acute-agedcare

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Disclaimer

Clinical practice guidelines are just one element of good health care decision making, which also takes into account patient/resident preferences and values, clinician values and experience, and the availability of resources.

These guidelines are not a definitive statement, but rather constitute a general guide to be considered in preventing functional decline in older people. Some flexibility will be required to adapt these guidelines to specific settings, local circumstances and individual patient/ resident needs.

Every attempt was made to ensure the accuracy of the contents of these guidelines at the time of publication.

In addition, the authors have made every effort to identify all the current, relevant guidelines, systematic reviews and randomised controlled trials. However, the authors acknowledge they might not have identified some relevant literature.

The Clinical Epidemiology and Health Service Evaluation Unit or any person who has contributed to the guidelines development do not accept liability or responsibility for any loss damage, injury or expense arising from any errors of omission in the contents of these guidelines.

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Full version of publication (PDF 2537 KB)

Quick reference Guide (PDF 1065 KB)

Consumer brochure (PDF 535 KB)

• Contents (PDF 16 KB)
• Glossary of terms (PDF 22 KB)
• Introduction (PDF 318 KB)
• Quick guide (PDF 1404 KB)
• Comprehensive Guide
  • Background information (PDF 25 KB)
  • Detection of delirium (PDF 169 KB)
  • Risk factors for delirium assessment and prediction (PDF 82 KB)
  • Prevention of delirium (PDF 31 KB)
  • Management of delirium (PDF 320 KB)
• Future directions (PDF 21 KB)
• Appendices and references (PDF 102 KB)

If you are experiencing difficulties in downloading any of the above documents, please email acd.webmaster@health.gov.au