Delirium education for geriatric patients and their families: A quality improvement initiative✰

Abstract

Delirium affects up to 50% of hospitalized older adults, contributing to poor outcomes. Family members can be engaged in delirium identification, prevention, and management. Rapid cycle improvement methodology was utilized to create a new educational handout on delirium. Using this handout, we taught family caregivers about delirium in a geriatric preoperative clinic. During the patient's postoperative recovery in the hospital, we evaluated family members’ knowledge about delirium and application of concepts learned in the handout. All participating family members reported applying at least one prevention strategy. We implemented a new delirium educational handout for family members that resulted in robust knowledge of delirium and self-report of strategies taken to prevent delirium. All respondents engaged in at least one delirium prevention strategy. This was used in a preoperative setting, but it could also be implemented in other situations prior to an event that might lead to increased delirium risk.