My Hospital Passport

This passport has been designed to help the hospital staff care for me and provide a brief overview of my needs.

On discharge please ensure that it is returned to you so that it can be regularly updated by those who know you best

My additional need is

(E.g. Learning Disability, Dementia,

Brain injury)

Date completed: ......

Date updated: ......

Completed by: ......

Relationship to Patient: ......


Patient & Carer Information Leaflet: Delirium

What is Delirium?

The word delirium is used to describe a severe state of confusion. It typically comes on quite quickly and may take some time to resolve

People with Delirium

Cannot think clearly

Have trouble paying attention

Have a hard time understanding what is going on around them

May see or hear things that are not there, these things seem very real to them.

There are different ways that delirium can affect individuals – some people may be agitated and restless or have delusions and hallucinations, others may be just unusually sleepy.

Delirium can be a common illness in people in hospital or long term care. However it can be prevented and treated.

DELIRIUM IS DIFFERENT FROM DEMENTIA

DELIRIUM– comes on quickly and the signs can change from day to day,

DEMENTIA– Dementia is a permanent condition and is a disturbance of thinking that comes over months, or even years.

Finding out if someone has Delirium

Those at risk of delirium should be assessed to see if their behaviour has changed in a way that is suggestive of delirium. Persons at risk of delirium, as well as their family or carers, should be asked about these changes, which might be:

A person’s understanding or decision making reduced

How they behave physically

The way they behave socially

What they think, hear or see (e.g.: hallucinations)

Some of the causes of delirium may be

Infection

Dehydration/ constipation

Medication

Pain

Unfamiliar environment

If the cause for delirium is ascertained then appropriate treatment can be offered.

However, it may just be passage of time and familiarity which helps the delirium to resolve.

Useful contacts

Alzheimers Society Sefton

Suite 5 Gordon House

3-5 Leicester Street

Southport PR90ER

Tel: 01704 539 967

Email:

Alzheimers Society Central Lancashire

1st Floor West Wing Derby House

Lytham Rrd Fulwood

Preston

PR28JE

Tel: 01772 788700

Email:

Age concern

Houghton Street Southport

Tel01704 542993

Age UK (Lancashire)

Moorgate

Ormskirk

L394RY

Tel.0300 303 1234

Customer contact numbers

  • 01695 651200 The Hub, West Lancashire Social services
  • 0151 9343737 Sefton Social services

Community Learning Disability Teams

Sefton - 01704 383030

West Lancs – 01695 684340

Hospital Contact

Sue Johnson Matron/Michelle Kitson Assistant Matron

01704 704762/704094