When the elderly begin to experience confusion, it is easy to attribute it to some form of dementia. However, there are a multitude of other possible causes for confusion in the elderly. Other possible causes could be a urinary tract infection, post surgical delirium, a recent change in medication, a recent change in environment, a change in sleep habits, or the onset of a cold or flu. Each of these other possible causes can easily be corrected and do not generally require long-term medications. Sometimes a simple dose of antibiotics is all that is needed. Make sure that the physician explores all of these other factors before arriving at a diagnosis of dementia.