Family Caregiver Role in Decreasing Delirium in Older Patients With Fractured Femur Using HELP Principles.

Overview

The Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP) has been shown to reduce delirium in hospitalized patients. In this study a family caregiver will apply the principles of the HELP program in a structured manner following training by a nurse clinical specialist in geriatrics. The effect of this intervention in decreasing delirium in older patients treated in an acute orthopedic unit for fractured femur following a fall will be evaluated.

Approximately 30% of those aged 65 years and over will fall at least once a year. As many as 38% of all older people hospitalized following a fall are admitted with hip fractures and 93% of these will undergo surgical repair of the fracture (Ministry of Health, 2015). Fractured femur is associated with many complications. Delirium (acute confusional state) following surgery is one of the most common of these complications, it often results in adverse outcomes for both patients and caregivers (Tieges et al., 2021), and places great financial burden on the health system. It must be emphasized that delirium can be prevented, and when it occurs should be recognized and treated appropriately. The HELP (Hospital Elder Life Program) is an accepted evidence-based model that has been proven to be effective in reducing delirium at the time of acute hospitalization (Inouye et al., 1999). HELP (which has been implemented at the Rambam Healthcare Campus) is a volunteer-based program using non-pharmacological interventions that include engaging patients in conversation, particularly emphasizing orientation to time and place, encouraging eating and drinking, and assisting with early mobility (Inouye, 2000). The HELP program has been shown to reduce delirium by one-fifth in previous studies (Wang et al., 2020). In this study a family caregiver will apply the principles of the HELP program in a structured manner following training by a nurse clinical specialist in geriatrics. The effect of this intervention in decreasing delirium in older patients treated in an acute orthopedic unit for fractured femur following a fall will be evaluated.