Cognitive assessment of elderly inpatients: a clinical audit.

Background: Comprehensive geriatric assessment including cognitive assessment results in better outcomes and quality of life through facilitating access to support and further care. The National Audit of Dementia Care revealed too few patients were being assessed for cognition and therefore failing to receive adequate care.

Methods: This was a retrospective clinical audit in a district general hospital with systematic sampling of the clinical records of 50 inpatients on an elderly care ward.