Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP)
Delirium Prevention Program
The Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP) is an evidence-based care program designed to prevent delirium and functional decline in hospitalized adults over 65 years old. This program allows patients to maintain a maximal level of independence during their stay and upon leaving the hospital. Many years of clinical trials prove that this program reduces occurrences of delirium and improves patient outcomes overall.
We currently only provide HELP services to patients at University of Utah Hospital.
What Is Delirium?
Delirium is a sudden change in mental state that occurs within hours or days. (This is different from any long-term cognitive condition, like dementia.) Delirium is serious, as it can lengthen the hospital stay and contribute to falls. It can be frightening for patients and those who care for them. Symptoms vary from patient to patient and can include the following:
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Feeling disoriented
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Experiencing time differently than normal
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Emotional abnormalities
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Problems with thinking and attention
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Problems with sleep
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Paranoia, hallucinations, hypervigilance, and more
Delirium Risk Factors
Delirium can happen to anyone. Hospital patients over age 65 have a higher risk of delirium than other adults. Common risk factors include having an infection, having low oxygen, being in new or unfamiliar surroundings, taking new medications, experiencing irregular sleep, and recovering from surgery.
Delirium Prevention: Tips for Patients
- Stay oriented. Look at a calendar, clock, cell phone or newspaper to make sure you know the date and time.
- In the daytime, open curtains or blinds and turn lights on. Light helps maintain natural rhythms of the body.
- Wear your glasses, hearing aids, and dentures. If necessary, have someone bring them to you in the hospital.
- Be active. Exercise is a great way to prevent physical and mental decline. Follow the advice of your medical team for any activity restrictions.
- Limit daytime napping. Too much napping lowers the quality of your sleep at night.
- Avoid sleeping pills. If you take sleeping pills at home, ask your medical team if you can safely lower your dose or if an alternative such as melatonin might be right for you.
- Keep a notebook. Make notes of the events of the day to help your memory. Write down questions you have for your medical team and the answers they provide.
- Notify your medical team right away if you have new confusion, disorientation, or hallucinations.
Hospital Elder Life Program Interventions: What to Expect
HELP volunteers and staff want to get to know you when they visit. They want to hear about what matters to you. You may find some joy in simply talking with a HELP volunteer about what’s going on in your life. We’re aware of the little things that may help you—whether that’s lowering the blinds to keep the sun out of your eyes, refilling your water, cleaning your glasses, or playing a card game.
Volunteers may ask you to answer a couple of questions to identify whether you are having any problems with your thinking. Our team also brings you the following interventions:
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Guided gentle physical exercises to maintain range of motion, strength, and blood flow
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Guided meditation to reduce stress and build the connection between mind and body
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Games and activities to engage your mind
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Sleep enhancements and relaxation exercises
HELP Volunteers are there to support you in maintaining your physical strength and mental clarity. Our program is here to help you feel like yourself throughout your hospital stay.
Meet the HELP Team
Volunteers: Our volunteers are members of the community, spanning ages 18–60+. Some are retired healthcare workers, some are professionals in various industries, and some are young adults eagerly preparing for careers in healthcare or other fields. They are here because they enjoy being around the patients we serve.
Staff: The Hospital Elder Life Program staff work to assess patients for delirium risk. We do much of this work by reviewing medical charts for delirium risk factors. We also assess at your bedside as needed. Staff assigns the appropriate interventions for volunteers to perform with the patients, based on patient-specific risk factors. Staff provides ongoing training and supervision for volunteers to make sure they demonstrate U of U Health's core PROMISE standards.
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Lauren Chamberlain MS-GERON, HELP Program Coordinator
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Maria Nelson, MBA, MDH, RDH, HELP Program Coordinator
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Chelsee Marshall, BSN, RN, HELP Nurse
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Roxanne Weiss, MD, HELP Medical Director
HELP Program History
Doctors at Yale University School of Medicine developed HELP in affiliation with the American Geriatrics Society (AGS). While the program has rebranded as “AGS CoCare: HELP,” here at University of Utah Hospital, we typically refer to the program simply as HELP. The HELP model operates at hospitals across the globe, though most HELP sites are in North America. University of Utah Hospital implemented the HELP program in 2010 under the leadership of geriatrician, Mark Supiano, MD. University of Utah Hospital is recognized as a Center of Excellence among HELP sites.
Contact Us
HELP staff sends volunteers to patients who are at a high level of risk of developing delirium, based on their medical chart. Please let your care team know if you or someone you care about is in the hospital, over 65, and would like visits from the Hospital Elder Life Program. Physicians, nurses, and health care assistants can contact us to make the request. We do our best to serve as many patients as possible with a limited but dedicated team.
