Sif Blandfort

Research and development areas

I am passionate about eldercare and aspire to contribute my knowledge and research to enhance the quality of life for individuals with dementia and their caregivers. At the Department of Geriatric Medicine at Aarhus University Hospital (AUH), I have conducted research on the prevention of delirium in elderly patients, both with and without dementia.

I am affiliated with the Research Center for Health and Welfare Technology within the research program for dementia. My focus revolves around understanding how individuals can lead meaningful lives despite a dementia diagnosis.

My research has generated several significant findings, including:

1. Elderly patients admitted to single rooms have a substantially lower risk of developing delirium compared to those admitted to multi-bed rooms
2. Elderly patients with delirium who are placed in single rooms face a higher risk of falling compared to elderly patients who do not have delirium
3. Elderly patients receiving antipsychotic medication are more vulnerable to developing delirium during their hospitalization compared to elderly patients who do not receive antipsychotics
4. Elderly patients with dementia are at a higher risk of developing delirium than elderly patients without dementia
5.  The IQCODE (Informant Questionnaire for Cognitive Decline in the Elderly) is a screening tool suitable for use during acute admissions to assess the presence of a risk of dementia in patients
6. Elderly individuals who develop delirium during hospitalization are at higher risk of being discharged to respite care facilities compared to those who do not develop delirium during their hospital stay
7. Elderly individuals who develop delirium during hospitalization have a higher risk, within 30 days, of moving to a nursing home, seeking emergency department care due to traumatic falls, and mortality, when compared to patients who do not develop delirium during their hospitalization