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Caring for patients with cognitive impairments can be a difficult task. First, the healthcare provider must distinguish between many processes that can lead to cognitive impairment (eg, delirium, depression, schizophrenia, and dementia).[11] In the hospital setting, nurses are usually the healthcare providers to first recognize changes from baseline in a patient’s cognition. Delirium, for example, can lead to a rapidly altered cognitive state in a patient. Properly trained nurses with experience and knowledge in delirium can help by quickly identifying this medical emergency and bringing it to the attention of a medical doctor. A timely diagnosis of delirium is crucial to providing effective healthcare, as it can significantly increase the length of hospital stay and mortality rates in patients. Another example of a common cause of cognitive impairment is depression. Nurses can help identify depression in patients through clinical assessment and observation. They also provide support for the patient by being at the bedside. While medical doctors can prescribe antidepressant medications to combat depression, therapists can provide tremendous help for the patient’s road to recovery either primarily or adjunctively. For patients who suffer from depression due to physical injuries and limitations, physical and occupational therapists play pivotal roles in the treatment plan. Dementia is the third example of a relatively common cause of cognitive impairment. Dementia ranges widely in the severity of cognitive impairment, depending on the state of the disease course.[12] Medical doctors can prescribe medications that can help sustain the patient’s cognitive function and slow the rate of decline. Nurses provide care for patients with dementia by being at the bedside in hospitals, nursing facilities, or even at home. Therapists provide cognitive stimulation therapy, which has been shown through several independent studies to provide benefits in the cognition of patients with mild to moderate dementia.[13][14][15]

Caring for patients with cognitive impairments can be a difficult task. First, the healthcare provider must distinguish between many processes that can lead to cognitive impairment (eg, delirium, depression, schizophrenia, and dementia).[11] In the hospital setting, nurses are usually the healthcare providers to first recognize changes from baseline in a patient’s cognition. Delirium, for example, can lead to a rapidly altered cognitive state in a patient. Properly trained nurses with experience and knowledge in delirium can help by quickly identifying this medical emergency and bringing it to the attention of a medical doctor. A timely diagnosis of delirium is crucial to providing effective healthcare, as it can significantly increase the length of hospital stay and mortality rates in patients. Another example of a common cause of cognitive impairment is depression. Nurses can help identify depression in patients through clinical assessment and observation. They also provide support for the patient by being at the bedside. While medical doctors can prescribe antidepressant medications to combat depression, therapists can provide tremendous help for the patient’s road to recovery either primarily or adjunctively. For patients who suffer from depression due to physical injuries and limitations, physical and occupational therapists play pivotal roles in the treatment plan. Dementia is the third example of a relatively common cause of cognitive impairment. Dementia ranges widely in the severity of cognitive impairment, depending on the state of the disease course.[12] Medical doctors can prescribe medications that can help sustain the patient’s cognitive function and slow the rate of decline. Nurses provide care for patients with dementia by being at the bedside in hospitals, nursing facilities, or even at home. Therapists provide cognitive stimulation therapy, which has been shown through several independent studies to provide benefits in the cognition of patients with mild to moderate dementia.[13][14][15] Occupational therapy methods for screening functional cognition are highly valuable for patient assessment. Knowledge of the level of function and understanding of this level assist occupational therapists in developing client-centered interventions. They assess patients' remaining abilities and strengths, identify safety issues, and determine the appropriate level of supervision. The Allen Cognitive disabilities model is based on strengths, not disabilities, to promote the highest possible functional level. The model was developed while working with adult patients in mental health settings, but is now applied in other areas.