Free program provides assistance for elderly patients to help avoid delirium and declined functioning during their hospital stays.
Inova Mount Vernon Hospital is now a part of the Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP). This free program is designed to aid elderly patients in avoiding delirium and declined functioning during their hospital stays.
Hospital visits often disrupt normal routines for seniors. HELP staff and volunteers provide extra attention to elderly patients during these disruptions. They provide help in numerous ways, from basic cognitive orientation and exercise, to therapeutic stimulation, assistance with specific issues such as vision and hearing problems and other support.
Susan Heisey, MSW, LCSW, ASW-G, Inova’s Program Director of HELP, says this free service can offer invaluable assistance. “Between 34 percent and 50 percent of hospitalized patients experience delirium or functional decline, which is associated with prolonged stays, increased mortality, and a greater need for rehabilitation and home care services,” she says.
Patients and their families dealing with these difficult circumstances are often pleased with and appreciative of the support provided by HELP, she adds.
For more information on the program, visit inova.org/help. The HELP program’s services are also available at Inova Fairfax Hospital.
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