Early Occupational Therapy for Delirium Prevention in Older Patients Admitted to Critical Care Unit

Intervention group:Standard non-pharmacological prevention plus early and intensive OT. Begin in the first 24 hours in CCU admission. OT areas:1)Multi-sensory stimulation:Intense external stimulation, increase alertness,2)Positioning: Fixtures like dorxi-flexion splints, devices for preventing edema,etc,3)Cognitive Stimulation: Awareness, orientation, attention, memory, calculation, praxis and language,4)Training Activities of Daily Living (ADL): Keep a daily routine and independence in hygiene, grooming and feeding,5)Upper Limb Motor Stimulation (ULMS): Activate functional movement and strength ,6)Family involvement. General Guidelines for intervention: Visit of an OT twice a day, 40 minutes each time, for 5 days; meeting of family training for promote strategies during the daily visit.

Non-pharmacological strategies are the first line of approach in the prevention of delirium. It is recommended to implement some of these strategies, which are: Reorientation protocol, including information 4 times a day about time, date, place and reason for hospitalization; early mobilization by physical therapist 3 times a day, corrected sensory impairment (use such as eyeglasses, hearing aids); environment management, use clock and calendar in the patient´s room, promote supervision of a professional or family to avoid physical restraints; sleep protocol, like lower light, noise and nighttime drug administration and finally, reduction of any anticholinergic drugs and minimize the use of benzodiazepines.