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Senior Female Patient Being Pushed In Wheelchair By Nurse

In my office there is a framed print of Nelson Mandela’s famous quote “It always seems impossible until IT’S DONE”. I believe hospitals have procrastinated long enough in becoming dementia friendly and the urgency to GET IT DONE is now.

The surge of dementia patients entering emergency rooms, combined with hospital-acquired delirium (often higher in intensive care and surgery) is straining healthcare staff in their ability to properly treat patients and costing million of dollars. Many advocates agree that dementia is the next public healthcare crisis.

While “dementia-friendly” may seem an impossible task, patient-centered initiatives aimed at improving communication skills, care procedures and making environmental improvements can create deep culture change in any hospital. In fact, patients, families, staff, volunteers and the community will create transformational change.

Let’s look at a few examples of simple dementia friendly initiatives that can be impactful in helping a patient with dementia:

Reduce noise and overstimulation in a patient’s room.
Use pictures instead of words (ex. shirt and pants on the closet door)
Teach communication skills to staff and volunteers. Provide training that is impactful for everyone who comes in contact with the patient!
Have simple communication/care practice guidelines available for families that incorporates communication skills used by hospital staff.
Design a dementia-specific activity area for patients with cognitive impairment and their families.
Reevaluate room safety, eliminating or properly disguising hazards.
Incorporate researched, holistic therapies that can reduce the need for psychotropic medications.
Designate leaders that have advanced dementia training to help implement and monitor changes, and provide ongoing education to all stakeholders.
Be willing to take one step at a time, create measurable tracking tools, listen to employee and family suggestions and adjust education and training protocols as needed.
Lastly, have a plan to share dementia friendly initiatives with a strong community outreach education program. Not only will you be making a difference in helping your community, but it’s great PR for your hospital.

MAKE 2017 the year YOUR hospital becomes dementia friendly!

Pam Brandon, President/Founder AGE-u-cate® Training Institute www.AGEucate.com ; pam@AGEucate.com

When elderly people spend time in a hospital, they often leave more disabled than when they got there. That’s pretty stunning considering the condition they may be in when admitted. Some of the most common reasons for hospitalization are injuries from a fall, pneumonia, infection, cardiovascular disease and dehydration. Treatment of the acute condition frequently doesn’t include special care needed to prevent rapid, and sometimes irreversible, physical and mental deterioration. Weakness from bedrest, weight loss, adverse drug reactions, delirium, and hospital-acquired infection are all too common. At a time with people 65 and older make up the fastest-growing segment of our population, our hospitals should take notice. Fortunately, some are. Special services such as the Acute Care for Elders (ACE) unit exist, but in only small number of our 5000+ hospitals in the U.S. What’s different about this specialized care? There’s a greater emphasis on maintaining mobility and preventing functional decline, cognitive assessment, a communal dining room to encourage better nutrition and social interaction, early discharge planning, and staff with training in geriatrics play key roles. I’m glad to see that hospitals are addressing this pressing issue, but wonder if it’s enough to prepare for the sheer number of us baby boomers beginning to need this kind of care.

Does your local hospital highlight special care for older patients?

Tag Archives: hospital

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