Chapter 3: Symptoms and health concerns
Confusion – What is it and what may cause it
Confusion occurs when a person’s brain is not working properly. The person may act differently and have difficulty remembering, paying attention, speaking, thinking, or understanding information. As a disease advances, the brain generally becomes less able to receive and process information for a variety of reasons.
Click the arrows below to see some reasons.
Infection
Medications
Pain
Inadequate oxygen
Pressure on the brain caused by tumor or injury
Chemical imbalances caused by the person’s disease.
Confusion is the result of something affecting the person’s brain and not a reflection of their feelings for you or anyone else. Click below to read some things that might happen because of confusion.
Say or do things that are out of character
Feel threatened by others or by changes in their surroundings
Be reluctant to trust family, friends, and their care team
Think people are trying to harm or steal from them
Keeping track
If you notice any changes that indicate confusion, it’s important to contact the person’s healthcare provider as soon as possible and note this change in the symptom tracker.
Click here to see the questions the healthcare provider may ask.
