Summary

This module has offered information about delirium. You have reviewed some strategies to recognize and manage delirium. You are now more aware of the differences between delirium and dementia. You can start to develop your own strategies related to delirium and find additional support in your area.Activity 6.6

Talk with Others

Discuss with the group: Has the person you care for ever experienced delirium? Share your experience with the group and if there were any strategies you used to manage the delirium at that time.

What’s Next?

You are now aware that delirium impacts a person’s ability to interact with the world around them. Interacting and staying socially engaged with other people is a key strategy to improve quality of life and maintain wellness. It is important for caregivers to be aware of how social engagement is related to frailty and how to support someone in the best way possible. As you move into the next module, which explores social engagement, you are encouraged to remember how the topics of this course are linked and reflect on how your recent learning fits into your caregiving situation.

Activity 6.7

Module Feedback

Complete the Module 6 Experience Survey.

References

Capezuti, E., Zwicker, D., Mezet, M., and Fulmer, T. (2008). Evidence-based geriatric nursing protocols for best practice: Third edition. New York, New York: Springer Publishing Company.

Mayo Clinic (2018). Delirium. Retrieved from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseasesconditions/delirium/symptoms-causes/syc-20371386?p=1.

Family Caregiver Alliance, National Centre on Caregiving. (2019). Caregiver resources, dementia. Retrieved from: https://www.caregiver.org/ health-issues/dementia

Gower, L. E., Gatewood, M. O., and Kang, C. S. (2012). Emergency department management of delirium in the elderly. The Western Journal of Emergency Medicine, 13(2), 194–201.

Innouye, S.K. (1999). Hospital elder life program (HELP) for prevention of delirium. Retrieved from: https://www.hospitalelderlifeprogram.org/ 

Inouye, S.K., Westendorp, R.G., Saczynski, J.S., Kimchi, E.Y., and Cleinman, A.A. (2014). Delirium in elderly people. Lancet, 383(9934), 2045.

The Ottawa Hospital. (2016). Delirium a guide for caregivers. Retrieved from: http://www.rgpeo.com/media/74748/delirium%20a%20 guide%20for%20caregivers.pdf

RGP of Toronto. (2018). SF7 toolkit. Retrieved from: https://www.rgptoronto.ca/resources/

Shulman, R.W., Kalra, S., and Zhuan Jiang, J. (2016). Validation of the sour seven questionnaire for screening delirium in hospitalized seniors by informal caregivers and untrained nurses. BMC Geriatrics, 16(44), 1 – 8.