Delirium, a condition often seen in older adults during hospitalization, can be exacerbated by unfamiliar environments and illness. At UCSF's Acute Care for Elders (ACE) unit, healthcare professionals are implementing strategies to prevent this confusion, highlighting the importance of familiarity and comfort, such as therapy dogs and personal items like robes. This approach aims to minimize functional decline and improve patient experience, reinforcing the role of a supportive setting in the care of elderly patients.
Delirium is hospital confusion. It happens when vulnerable people are admitted to the hospital, and they are in a new environment and maybe they are sick.
We are going to the ACE unit. It stands for 'Acute Care for Elders.' There are 31 beds and mainly patients are 65 and older.
Music and movement are viewed as medicine. It's all part of a strategy to create a comfortable environment.
The blanket that smells like home and the robe that he puts on probably every morning when he wakes up at home normalizes again being at the hospital.
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