Being in a delirious state is like dreaming while awake. This can be a pleasant dream or more like a nightmare. People may have many different feelings during their delirium, some of which can be frightening.
Many people remember being delirious. You may find it helpful to talk to your care team about your experience.
A person with delirium may have a hard time understanding what people are saying and feel that they are not being understood. To optimize communication:
• Face the person when speaking to them.
• Use a calming voice.
• Speak slowly and in short simple sentences.
• Present one idea at a time.
• If needed, repeat what you’ve said.
• Avoid contradicting the person. Instead, accept what they say and use distraction to shift their attention to something else.
• Do not make quick movements or gestures as these may be misinterpreted as aggressive.
• If the person is distressed by touch, then comfort and redirect them verbally instead.
It can be reassuring for a person with delirium to see and hear familiar people.
• Help reorient them by telling them where they are, who they are, and who you are.
• Place a clock, calendar, and personal objects where they can see them.
• Help them put on their glasses and hearing aids.
• Check that their hearing aids are working and make sure they have their dentures.
• Keep noise and visitors to a minimum.
• Ideally, keep their room light during the day with curtains open, and dark at night.
• Provide familiar items, such as family photos, comforters, blankets, and sleepwear.
• Delirium is common. It is a disturbance in brain function that can happen when a person is medically unwell. Delirium is a state of confusion that comes on very suddenly. This is why delirium is sometimes called an “acute confusional state” or “acute brain failure”. Delirium usually improves after days or weeks, but can go on for longer.
• Delirium is not the same as dementia, but both delirium and dementia can exist in a person at the same time.
• Dementia is a disorder that also affects the brain. Dementia is more common in older people. It develops slowly over months and is a permanent condition. People with dementia can have memory loss and difficulties with thinking, problem-solving or language, as well as changes in behaviour.
• Hallucinations are seeing, feeling, or hearing something that is not there. Hallucinations can seem very real to the person experiencing them.
• Delusions are to strongly believe something that is not true. Delusions are false beliefs.
An online self-learning module has been created for staff training on the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale – Palliative version, also known as the RASS-PAL.