Experiences of relatives of patients with delirium due to an acute health event - A systematic review of qualitative studies

OBJECTIVE

Evaluate relatives' experience of delirium due to an acute health event in a loved person and to compile practical suggestions for health care professionals from these synthesized results.

BACKGROUND

Delirium resulting from an acute health event places patients at increased risk for prolonged hospitalization and mortality. A delirium episode also affects family members who may assist in the diagnosis and recovery from this condition.

INCLUSION CRITERIA

Qualitative studies of family members or other caregivers who witnessed patient delirium in a clinical setting were included if they had appropriate verbatim evidence. Studies dealing exclusively with delirium in the context of dementia, cancer, palliative care, or drug dependence were excluded, and if quotes could not be clearly allocated to relatives.

METHODS

A systematic review of qualitative studies adapted from the Joanna Briggs Institute meta-aggregation approach. A systematic literature search was conducted in CINAHL complete®, MEDLINE®, and several dissertation databases in September 2022.

RESULTS

Eight qualitative studies based on semi-structured interviews were included. In total 75 findings from 105 relatives were aggregated into 13 categories. Finally, three synthesized findings reveal suggestions for health care professionals: providing information adequately, communication and integration during health care and understanding relatives' perspective on delirium experience.

CONCLUSION

The identified burdens and needs of relatives should be considered by health care professionals to enhance the delirium experience for them, thus improving patient care by involving relatives with a better understanding.

A rehabilitation intervention to improve recovery after an episode of delirium in adults over 65 years (RecoverED): study protocol for a multi-centre, single-arm feasibility study

BACKGROUND

Delirium affects over 20% of all hospitalised older adults. Delirium is associated with a number of adverse outcomes following hospital admission including cognitive decline, anxiety and depression, increased mortality and care needs. Previous research has addressed prevention of delirium in hospitals and care homes, and there are guidelines on short-term treatment of delirium during admission. However, no studies have addressed the problem of longer-term recovery after delirium and it is currently unknown whether interventions to improve recovery after delirium are effective and cost-effective. The primary objective of this feasibility study is to test a new, theory-informed rehabilitation intervention (RecoverED) in older adults delivered following a hospital admission complicated by delirium to determine whether (a) the intervention is acceptable to individuals with delirium and (b) a definitive trial and parallel economic evaluation of the intervention are feasible.

METHODS

The study is a multi-centre, single-arm feasibility study of a rehabilitation intervention with an embedded process evaluation. Sixty participants with delirium (aged > 65 years old) and carer pairs will be recruited from six NHS acute hospitals across the UK. All pairs will be offered the intervention, with follow-up assessments conducted at 3 months and 6 months post-discharge home. The intervention will be delivered in participants' own homes by therapists and rehabilitation support workers for up to 10 intervention sessions over 12 weeks. The intervention will be tailored to individual needs, and the chosen intervention plan and goals will be discussed and agreed with participants and carers. Quantitative data on reach, retention, fidelity and dose will be collected and summarised using descriptive statistics. The feasibility outcomes that will be used to determine whether the study meets the criteria for progression to a definitive randomised controlled trial (RCT) include recruitment, delivery of the intervention, retention, data collection and acceptability of outcome measures. Acceptability of the intervention will be assessed using in-depth, semi-structured qualitative interviews with participants and healthcare professionals.

DISCUSSION

Findings will inform the design of a pragmatic multi-centre RCT of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the RecoverED intervention for helping the longer-term recovery of people with delirium compared to usual care.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The feasibility study was registered: ISRCTN15676570.

Exploring perceptions regarding family-based delirium management in the intensive care unit

Background

Delirium is a common complication in patients treated in the intensive care unit (ICU). Family members can help alleviate patient anxiety and may be able to aid in the management of delirium. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of former ICU patients and their families together, regarding the involvement of family in delirium management.

Method

Nine audio-recorded, semi-structured interviews took place with former ICU patients together with a family member. Participants were interviewed after their intensive care follow-up clinic appointment in an East Midlands hospital in England. Interviews were transcribed, coded and analysed using thematic analysis.

Results

Three themes were identified: 'understanding about delirium'; 'influencers of delirium management: family and healthcare professionals' and 'family-based delirium care'. Participants expressed that family have a valuable role to play in the management of delirium in the ICU. However, education and guidance is needed to support the family in how delirium can be managed and the current treatment options available. It is important for ICU staff to gain an understanding of the patient's life and personality to personalise delirium management to the needs of the patient and their family.

Conclusion

This study found that family presence and knowledge about the patient may be beneficial to delirium management in the ICU. Further research should investigate the effectiveness of the strategies and interventions to understand their influence on delirium management in ICU patients.

The impact of patient delirium in the intensive care unit: patterns of anxiety symptoms in family caregivers

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to examine the association of patient delirium in the intensive care unit (ICU) with patterns of anxiety symptoms in family caregivers when delirium was determined by clinical assessment and family-administered delirium detection.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, consecutive adult patients anticipated to remain in the ICU for longer than 24 h were eligible for participation given at least one present family caregiver (e.g., spouse, friend) provided informed consent (to be enrolled as a dyad) and were eligible for delirium detection (i.e., Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale score ≥ - 3). Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) was used to assess self-reported symptoms of anxiety. Clinical assessment (Confusion Assessment Method for ICU, CAM-ICU) and family-administered delirium detection (Sour Seven) were completed once daily for up to five days.

RESULTS

We included 147 family caregivers; the mean age was 54.3 years (standard deviation [SD] 14.3 years) and 74% (n = 129) were female. Fifty (34% [95% confidence interval [CI] 26.4-42.2]) caregivers experienced clinically significant symptoms of anxiety (median GAD-7 score 16.0 [interquartile range 6]). The most prevalent symptoms of anxiety were "Feeling nervous, anxious or on edge" (96.0% [95%CI 85.2-99.0]); "Not being able to stop or control worrying" (88.0% [95%CI 75.6-94.5]; "Worrying too much about different things" and "Feeling afraid as if something awful might happen" (84.0% [95%CI 71.0-91.8], for both). Family caregivers of critically ill adults with delirium were significantly more likely to report "Worrying too much about different things" more than half of the time (CAM-ICU, Odds Ratio [OR] 2.27 [95%CI 1.04-4.91]; Sour Seven, OR 2.28 [95%CI 1.00-5.23]).

CONCLUSIONS

Family caregivers of critically ill adults with delirium frequently experience clinically significant anxiety and are significantly more likely to report frequently worrying too much about different things. Future work is needed to develop mental health interventions for the diversity of anxiety symptoms experienced by family members of critically ill patients.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This study is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov ( https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03379129 ).

Stratified delirium risk using prescription medication data in a state-wide cohort

OBJECTIVE

Delirium is a common condition associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Medication side effects are a possible source of modifiable delirium risk and provide an opportunity to improve delirium predictive models. This study characterized the risk for delirium diagnosis by applying a previously validated algorithm for calculating central nervous system adverse effect burden arising from a full medication list.

METHOD

Using a cohort of hospitalized adult (age 18-65) patients from the Massachusetts All-Payers Claims Database, we calculated medication burden following hospital discharge and characterized risk of new coded delirium diagnosis over the following 90 days. We applied the resulting model to a held-out test cohort.

RESULTS

The cohort included 62,180 individuals of whom 1.6% (1019) went on to have a coded delirium diagnosis. In the training cohort (43,527 individuals), the medication burden feature was positively associated with delirium diagnosis (OR = 5.75, 95% CI 4.34-7.63) and this association persisted (aOR = 1.95; 1.31-2.92) after adjusting for demographics, clinical features, prescribed medications, and anticholinergic risk score. In the test cohort, the trained model produced an area under the curve of 0.80 (0.78-0.82). This performance was similar across subgroups of age and gender.

CONCLUSION

Aggregating brain-related medication adverse effects facilitates identification of individuals at high risk of subsequent delirium diagnosis.

Use of Diaries in Intensive Care Unit Delirium Patients: German Nursing Perspectives

Diaries are written for patients in intensive care units by staff and relatives, especially when patients experience a disorder of their consciousness, such as delirium. Diary entries are written in common language, describing the situation of the patient. The diary can be read by the patient and the family and support the coping and understanding of what happened. It can function as a tool for supporting communication about different experiences and views of critical illness.

Integration of family caregivers in delirium prevention care for hospitalized older adults: A case study analysis

AIM

To understand how family caregivers of older adults hospitalized for orthopaedic surgery are integrated by nurses in delirium prevention care.

DESIGN

Multiple case study.

METHODS

The sample consisted of eight cases. Each case comprised an older adult, a family caregiver, and a nurse. Data were collected from September 2017 - April 2018 through various instruments, including semi-structured interviews and family caregiver logs. Within- and across-case analyses were conducted, based on the model of The Care Partner Engagement developed by Hill, Yevchak, Gilmore-Bykovskyi, & Kolanowski (Geriatric Nursing, 35, 2014, 272).

RESULTS

Two themes emerged: (a) family caregivers were engaged in caring for the older adults during their hospital stay, though they had differences in terms of views and needs; and (b) family caregivers communicated with nurses but nurses did not recognize their role and did not integrate them much in care.

CONCLUSION

The presence and availability of family caregivers, their sense of responsibility towards the hospitalized older adults, and their positive effects on them suggest that family caregivers could be integrated more systematically in a care partnership with nurses. Poor integration of family caregivers in delirium prevention care shows that nurse delirium prevention competencies and their relational skills for communicating effectively with family caregivers need to be developed further.

IMPACT

Integrating family caregivers in delirium prevention care for older adults is a challenge for nurses. Family caregivers are engaged during the hospitalization of older adults, though differences and problems exist between the two groups. While there is communication between patients, family caregivers, and nurses, nurses do not recognize the role of family caregivers and hardly integrated them in the delirium prevention care of hospitalized older adults. Nurses must adopt a patient- and family-centred approach. Care and training facilities must make resources available to implement this approach in nursing practice.

The 4 'A's test for detecting delirium in acute medical patients: a diagnostic accuracy study

BACKGROUND

Delirium is a common and serious neuropsychiatric syndrome, usually triggered by illness or drugs. It remains underdetected. One reason for this is a lack of brief, pragmatic assessment tools. The 4 'A's test (Arousal, Attention, Abbreviated Mental Test - 4, Acute change) (4AT) is a screening tool designed for routine use. This project evaluated its usability, diagnostic accuracy and cost.

METHODS

Phase 1 - the usability of the 4AT in routine practice was measured with two surveys and two qualitative studies of health-care professionals, and a review of current clinical use of the 4AT as well as its presence in guidelines and reports. Phase 2 - the 4AT's diagnostic accuracy was assessed in newly admitted acute medical patients aged ≥ 70 years. Its performance was compared with that of the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM; a longer screening tool). The performance of individual 4AT test items was related to cognitive status, length of stay, new institutionalisation, mortality at 12 weeks and outcomes. The method used was a prospective, double-blind diagnostic test accuracy study in emergency departments or in acute general medical wards in three UK sites. Each patient underwent a reference standard delirium assessment and was also randomised to receive an assessment with either the 4AT (n = 421) or the CAM (n = 420). A health economics analysis was also conducted.

RESULTS

Phase 1 found evidence that delirium awareness is increasing, but also that there is a need for education on delirium in general and on the 4AT in particular. Most users reported that the 4AT was useful, and it was in widespread use both in the UK and beyond. No changes to the 4AT were considered necessary. Phase 2 involved 785 individuals who had data for analysis; their mean age was 81.4 (standard deviation 6.4) years, 45% were male, 99% were white and 9% had a known dementia diagnosis. The 4AT (n = 392) had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.90. A positive 4AT score (> 3) had a specificity of 95% [95% confidence interval (CI) 92% to 97%] and a sensitivity of 76% (95% CI 61% to 87%) for reference standard delirium. The CAM (n = 382) had a specificity of 100% (95% CI 98% to 100%) and a sensitivity of 40% (95% CI 26% to 57%) in the subset of participants whom it was possible to assess using this. Patients with positive 4AT scores had longer lengths of stay (median 5 days, interquartile range 2.0-14.0 days) than did those with negative 4AT scores (median 2 days, interquartile range 1.0-6.0 days), and they had a higher 12-week mortality rate (16.1% and 9.2%, respectively). The estimated 12-week costs of an initial inpatient stay for patients with delirium were more than double the costs of an inpatient stay for patients without delirium (e.g. in Scotland, £7559, 95% CI £7362 to £7755, vs. £4215, 95% CI £4175 to £4254). The estimated cost of false-positive cases was £4653, of false-negative cases was £8956, and of a missed diagnosis was £2067.

LIMITATIONS

Patients were aged ≥ 70 years and were assessed soon after they were admitted, limiting generalisability. The treatment of patients in accordance with reference standard diagnosis limited the ability to assess comparative cost-effectiveness.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings support the use of the 4AT as a rapid delirium assessment instrument. The 4AT has acceptable diagnostic accuracy for acute older patients aged > 70 years.

FUTURE WORK

Further research should address the real-world implementation of delirium assessment. The 4AT should be tested in other populations.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN53388093.

FUNDING

This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 23, No. 40. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information. The funder specified that any new delirium assessment tool should be compared against the CAM, but had no other role in the study design or conduct of the study.

Family caregiver's experience of caring for an older adult with delirium: A systematic review

AIM

To enhance understanding of how family caregivers perceive the experience of caring for an older adult with delirium across care settings and to identify the challenges in recognising and managing delirium to inform future research and best practices.

METHOD

A systematic literature review was conducted in five databases per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses criteria. Primary or secondary peer-reviewed articles published between 1987 and October 2018 describing the experiences of family caregivers caring for older adults with delirium or delirium superimposed on dementia were included in the review. Mixed Method Appraisal Tool (MMAT) was used to evaluate the methodological quality. A thematic synthesis of results was conducted to extract relevant data as per the aims of the study.

RESULTS

Eighteen articles met the eligibility criteria, which were reviewed and analysed in regard to purpose, sample, research design, variables and results. Seven themes emerged in the process. The current challenges and gaps in our knowledge of this phenomenon have also been highlighted, which should be helpful to inform best practices, and finally, an agenda for future research is proposed.

CONCLUSION

Family caregivers are an important partner in the detection and management of delirium. The impact of caring for an older adult with delirium on the family caregivers should not be overlooked. This paper highlights the dearth of research on family caregiver's experience of caring for older adults with delirium and even less in the context of delirium superimposed on dementia. More research is required to further understand the family caregiver's experience and their challenges in order to support them in their caregiving role and to determine their needs and preferences of being involved in the plan of care.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

These findings suggest that family caregivers are a valuable resource in the recognition and management of delirium and should be included as care partners in the health care team, while also catering to their health and well-being in the process.

A qualitative exploration of the views of patients and their relatives regarding interventions to minimize the distress related to postoperative delirium

BACKGROUND

Postoperative delirium (POD) is common in older people and can be distressing for patients and their relatives. This study aimed to describe the experience of postoperative delirium and explore the views of patients and relatives in order to inform the codesign of an intervention to minimize distress related to postoperative delirium.

METHODS

Qualitative study using a thematic analysis of semistructured interviews in patients (n = 11) and relatives (n = 12) who experienced and witnessed POD, respectively.

RESULTS

Patients and relatives find POD distressing and desire information on the cause and consequences of delirium. This information should be delivered pre-emptively where possible for patients and relatives during the episode for relatives and in post episode follow up for patients and their families. Information should be provided in person by a health care professional who has experience in managing delirium, supplemented by written materials. In addition, participants suggested training to improve staff and public awareness of delirium.

CONCLUSIONS

This qualitative study showed that patients and relatives find delirium distressing, report the need for an intervention to minimize this distress, and enabled codesign of a pilot intervention. Refinement and evaluation of this intervention should form the next step in this program of work.

Understanding the integration of family caregivers in delirium prevention care for hospitalized older adults: A case study protocol

AIM

To understand family caregiver involvement in delirium prevention care for older adults hospitalized for orthopaedic surgery hospitals and family caregiver integration by nurses.

DESIGN

Multiple-case study.

METHODS

The model of Care Partner Engagement was selected as theoretical framework. Eight cases will comprise an older adult hospitalized a family caregiver and a ward nurse. They will be recruited with a non-probability sampling on two orthopaedic surgery wards in two hospitals. Semi-structured interviews with participants will be audiotaped. Sociodemographic data will be collected. These data, researcher field notes and interview transcripts will be subjected to within- and across-case thematic analysis. Regional ethics committee approved the study protocol in August 2018.

DISCUSSION

The study will allow surgical nursing teams to gain a better understanding of the issues and possibilities regarding family caregiver integration in delirium prevention care for older adults.

Delirium management by palliative medicine specialists: a survey from the association for palliative medicine of Great Britain and Ireland

OBJECTIVES

Delirium is common in palliative care settings. Management includes detection, treatment of cause(s), non-pharmacological interventions and family support; strategies which are supported with varying levels of evidence. Emerging evidence suggests that antipsychotic use should be minimised in managing mild to moderate severity delirium, but the integration of this evidence into clinical practice is unknown.

METHODS

A 21-question online anonymous survey was emailed to Association for Palliative Medicine members in current clinical practice (n=859), asking about delirium assessment, management and research priorities.

RESULTS

Response rate was 39%: 70% of respondents were palliative medicine consultants. Delirium guidelines were used by some: 42% used local guidelines but 38% used none. On inpatient admission, 59% never use a delirium screening tool. Respondents would use non-pharmacological interventions to manage delirium, either alone (39%) or with an antipsychotic (58%). Most respondents (91%) would prescribe an antipsychotic and 6% a benzodiazepine, for distressing hallucinations unresponsive to non-pharmacological measures. Inpatient (57%) and community teams (60%) do not formally support family carers. Research priorities were delirium prevention, management and prediction of reversibility.

CONCLUSION

This survey of UK and Irish Palliative Medicine specialists shows that delirium screening at inpatient admission is suboptimal. Most specialists continue to use antipsychotics in combination with non-pharmacological interventions to manage delirium. More support for family carers should be routinely provided by clinical teams. Further rigorously designed clinical trials are urgently needed in view of management variability, emerging evidence and perceived priorities for research.

‘I hope you get normal again’: an explorative study on how delirious octogenarian patients experience their interactions with healthcare professionals and relatives after aortic valve therapy

Background:

Delirium affects nearly half of octogenarian patients after aortic valve replacement, resulting in impaired cognition, reduced awareness and hallucinations. Although healthcare professionals and relatives are often present during episodes, the nature of interactions with them is scarcely studied, and little is known about their long-term experiences.

Purpose:

The purpose of this study was to explore and describe how octogenarian patients with post-aortic valve replacement delirium experience interactions with healthcare professionals and relatives within the first year and four years later.

Method:

An explorative design with qualitative content analysis was used. Delirium was assessed for five consecutive days after aortic valve replacement using the Confusion Assessment Method. Delirious patients ( n=10) were interviewed 6–12 months post-discharge and four years later ( n=5). We used an inductive approach to identify themes in transcribed interviews.

Findings:

An overarching theme emerged: ‘ Healthcare professionals’ and relatives’ responses made a considerable impact on the delirium experience postoperatively and in a long-term’. Three sub-themes described the patients’ experiences: ‘ the need for close supportive care’, ‘ disrespectful behaviour created a barrier’ and ‘ insensitive comments made lasting impressions’. Having healthcare professionals and relatives nearby made the patients feel secure, while lack of attention elevated patients’ emotional distress. Four years later, patients clearly recalled negative comments and unsupportive actions in their delirious state.

Conclusions:

Healthcare professionals and relatives have an essential role in the aortic valve replacement recovery process. Inconsiderate behaviour directed at older patients in delirium elevates distress and has long-term implications. Supportive care focused on maintaining the patients’ dignity and integrity is vital.

Mum's absence(s): conceptual insights into absence as loss during a loved one's delirium

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To examine qualitative research findings about family experiences of absence or loss during older person delirium, and provide a critical discussion of the similarities and differences in these experiences with conceptual understandings of absence and loss.

BACKGROUND

Families who care for older people with chronic illnesses experience many losses. However, the nondeath loss experiences of family during an older loved one's delirium, an acute condition accompanied by marked changes in demeanour, have received little consideration.

DESIGN

Discursive position paper.

METHODS

The findings from two qualitative research studies about family experiences during an older loved one's delirium are discussed in relation to the concepts of absence and nondeath loss.

RESULTS

The uncharacteristic behaviours and cognitive changes that accompany delirium may estrange family who, despite the older person's corporeal presence, sense the profound absence or loss of their loved one. Although the notion of absence, a nondeath loss, is similar to the experiences of family of people with chronic conditions, there are differences that distinguish these encounters. The similarities and differences between absence during delirium and the concepts of psychological absence, nonfinite loss and psychosocial death are discussed. Psychosocial death, reversibility/irreversibility and partial marked change, are suggested as conceptual descriptions for the absence families experience during an older loved one's delirium.

CONCLUSIONS

The sense of absence or loss that family may experience during their older loved one's delirium needs to be recognised, understood and addressed by healthcare staff. Understanding or appreciating conceptualisations of absence, as a nondeath loss, may enhance understandings of family member needs during delirium and enable better support strategies.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Conceptualisations of absence enhance understandings of family distress and needs during their older loved one's delirium. The potential for family members to experience their loved one's absence during delirium, a nondeath loss, needs to be considered by healthcare staff. Family experiences of absence during delirium need to be recognised by healthcare staff, acknowledged as a potential source of distress, and considered when involving family in the older person's care. Nurses are ideally placed to respond compassionately and provide appropriate family member re-assurance, support and information during delirium. Information should include possible impacts on family and coping strategies.

The experiences of caregivers of patients with delirium, and their role in its management in palliative care settings: an integrative literature review

OBJECTIVES

To explore the experiences of caregivers of terminally ill patients with delirium, to determine the potential role of caregivers in the management of delirium at the end of life, to identify the support required to improve caregiver experience and to help the caregiver support the patient.

METHODS

Four electronic databases were searched-PsychInfo, Medline, Cinahl and Scopus from January 2000 to July 2015 using the terms 'delirium', 'terminal restlessness' or 'agitated restlessness' combined with 'carer' or 'caregiver' or 'family' or 'families'. Thirty-three papers met the inclusion criteria and remained in the final review.

RESULTS

Papers focused on (i) caregiver experience-distress, deteriorating relationships, balancing the need to relieve suffering with desire to communicate and helplessness versus control; (ii) the caregiver role-detection and prevention of delirium, symptom monitoring and acting as a patient advocate; and (iii) caregiver support-information needs, advice on how to respond to the patient, interventions to improve caregiver outcomes and interventions delivered by caregivers to improve patient outcomes.

CONCLUSION

High levels of distress are experienced by caregivers of patients with delirium. Distress is heightened because of the potential irreversibility of delirium in palliative care settings and uncertainty around whether the caregiver-patient relationship can be re-established before death. Caregivers can contribute to the management of patient delirium. Additional intervention studies with informational, emotional and behavioural components are required to improve support for caregivers and to help the caregiver support the patient. Reducing caregiver distress should be a goal of any future intervention.© 2016 The Authors. Psycho-Oncology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Reflexivity and exploring the meaning of delirium through media depictions: Methodological insights from a phenomenological study

In the course of a phenomenological study that explored the experiences of family members during their older loved one's delirium, a range of delirium experiences depicted in artistic, creative, and linguistic media were reviewed. The search for, and compilation of, media sources for reflection during data analysis is described in this paper. In doing so, the researcher reveals how attentiveness and openness to varied depictions of lived experiences, as well as a valuing attitude toward challenging subjective perspectives, can enhance researcher reflexivity and appreciation of interpretive meanings. Turning to media depictions of delirium offered alternative perspectives on the experience. It challenged the researcher's assumptions, enhanced phenomenological reflection, promoted critique of evolving interpretations, and suggested meanings that might not have otherwise been realized. The approach used is a potent, although often overlooked, way to differentiate the nature of phenomena shared through lived experience data. Media-based methods and their use in phenomenology continue to be explored. Illustrations of how to integrate media sources, as well as discussion about the benefits and alternatives to more common uses, are needed.

Delirium superimposed on dementia: A quantitative and qualitative evaluation of informal caregivers and health care staff experience

OBJECTIVE

Delirium superimposed on dementia is common and potentially distressing for patients, caregivers, and health care staff. We quantitatively and qualitatively assessed the experience of informal caregiver and staff (staff nurses, nurse aides, physical therapists) caring for patients with delirium superimposed on dementia.

METHODS

Caregivers' and staff experience was evaluated three days after delirium superimposed on dementia resolution (T0) with a standardized questionnaire (quantitative interview) and open-ended questions (qualitative interview); caregivers were also evaluated at 1-month follow-up (T1).

RESULTS

A total of 74 subjects were included; 33 caregivers and 41 health care staff (8 staff nurses, 20 physical therapists, 13 staff nurse aides/health care assistants). Overall, at both T0 and T1, the distress level was moderate among caregivers and mild among health care staff. Caregivers reported, at both T0 and T1, higher distress related to deficits of sustained attention and orientation, hypokinesia/psychomotor retardation, incoherence and delusions. The distress of health care staff related to each specific item of the Delirium-O-Meter was relatively low except for the physical therapists who reported higher level of distress on deficits of sustained/shifting attention and orientation, apathy, hypokinesia/psychomotor retardation, incoherence, delusion, hallucinations, and anxiety/fear. The qualitative evaluation identified important categories of caregivers' and staff feelings related to the delirium experience.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides information on the implication of the experience of delirium on caregivers and staff. The distress related to delirium superimposed on dementia underlines the importance of providing continuous training, support and experience for both the caregivers and health care staff to improve the care of patients with delirium superimposed on dementia.