Urinary tract infections can cause sudden confusion, known as delirium, in older people. But finding bacteria in someone’s urine does not necessarily explain their confusion, and the real cause may lie elsewhere.
An older person who was chatting normally at breakfast may, by the afternoon, not know where they are. They might be restless and distressed, unusually sleepy, or insist they can see someone who isn’t there. Families and care staff often reach for the same explanation: it must be a urine infection.
