Hospital-Stay Delirium

Many elderly may suffer confusion or other cognitive issues during, or after, a hospital stay.  If you have experienced such an episode with an elderly family member or friend, its important to read a recent article in the New York Times regarding hospital-stay delirium. 


When my father entered the hospital in 2004, one of too-many stays over a 14 year period after being diagnosed with Parkinsons, delirium set in almost overnite.  Confusion, paranoia, difficult at times aggressive behaviour, halucinations and loss of memory overtook Dad, and started a process of learning on the job, so to speak, for Mom, Steve and myself.  I'm not sure had we known about many of the suggestions in this well-researched and highly informative article, if it would have made a difference because of the underlying Parkinsons.  But at least we would have been informed and perhaps better able to handle the nightmare that ensued.  


In Dad's case, it took two months post-hospital stay, for some of the symtoms to normalize, but we started to realize that we were facing a new normal.  The old normal was a thing of the past.


What I can also share is that for those reading this post in the Ontario region, if your loved one or friend starts to exhibit any of these symptoms, get the Community Care Access Centre involved before you bring that person home.  In fact, don't sign the patient out before CCAC, located in most Ontario hospitals, agrees to provide several hours of personal care services, nurses, etc.  Once you bring the patient home, it will be difficult to get any help from them to assist you. Their current mandate is to free up hospital beds, and you can hold that process up until they provide the services you or the patient will need once home.  


Educate yourself, and share this article with anyone that has elderly in their lives.  It may only be a temporary condition, but as the article states, its can be an indication that there is some other health matter that needs to be assessed and diagnosed.