The perceptions of European geriatricians on the co-occurrence and links between dementia, delirium and frailty

Aim: To explore the perceptions of geriatricians and experienced geriatric trainees in Europe on the complex relationships between dementia, delirium and frailty. Findings: European geriatricians overestimate the prevalence of frailty and to a lesser extent delirium in older hospitalised adults, while underestimating the probability of older inpatients with delirium also having frailty. As expected, severe dementia and prior delirium were rated as the strongest risks for future delirium, but more than half the cohort considered pre-frailty a moderate or strong risk factor. Message: Research with a dementia, delirium or frailty focus needs to carefully determine the presence and influence of the two other conditions to give more rounded and real-life data that can better inform education and clinical practice around screening and prognostication.