Susan Heisey, MSW, LCSW, ASW-G is the Coordinator for an innovative program known as Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP). Dr. Sharon Inouye developed the HELP program to help improve mobility and function to prevent delirium. Delirium is a sudden change in thinking, and is often confused with dementia and/or depression - known as the 3D's in geriatrics (Dementia, Depression, and Delirium).
There are several types of delirium:
- Hypoactive Delirium: Sudden change of being very sleepy or not able to stay awake
- Hyperactive Delirium: Sudden change where the person may be very agitated
- Mixed: A combination of both and the person may swing back and forth between the two
Susan explains how the HELP program is working to help recognized delirium sooner, and reverse this sudden change in mental status. She provides information for how to volunteer to work with this program.
Susan Heisey has 25 years of geriatric clinical experience and is the coordinator of the HELP Program at both Inova Fairfax and Inova Alexandria.
Show originally aired July 17, 2017
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