Friendlier Healing Chances: A Helping Hand for Dementia in the ER
Emergency care assistance for individuals grappling with dementia - Emergency aid for dementia patients: Assistance available in emergency rooms
The emergency room: chaos, pressure, and urgency. Nurses rush patients inside, doctors and caregivers dash to the next case. For seniors, particularly those with dementia, this intense atmosphere could worsen their healing prospects. However, volunteer guides stationed in three German hospitals in Göttingen, Mannheim, and Berlin aim to prevent this turmoil.
Patients might fall into a state known as delirium—a sudden and severe confusion often affecting dementia patients, as explained by Christine von Arnim, director of the Clinic for Geriatrics at the University Medical Center Göttingen. Delirium often arises following surgeries and typically lasts several days.
Open conversations and personal touch
To avoid this, volunteers like Kerstin Schneider are on duty at the University Medical Center. "Our role is to keep people grounded in the present," explains von Arnim. Schneider recalls, "Many simply long for someone to talk to. That calms them down." Simple hand-holding can help alleviate the distress of dementia patients. For instance, a woman who was screaming stopped once Schneider sat beside her.
Schneider avoids wearing a uniform and approaches patients on her own without medical staff introducing her. This ensures a more approachable image and disassociates Schneider from potentially intimidating medical staff. Like the medical staff, volunteers are bound by confidentiality.
Expanding the volunteer team
In Göttingen, Schneider is one of two current emergency room guides, with eight additional volunteers soon to join the team. These volunteers come from diverse backgrounds, including students and seniors. No medical training is required. Schneider, however, is a retired nurse and active in other volunteer organizations. As a guide, she usually works twice a month for six to seven hours on days of her choice.
"There's always work to do," Schneider states. If no one requires attention in the emergency room or emergency station, she turns her attention to geriatrics. For her role as a guide, Schneider has received training on topics like dementia, delirium, and hygiene. Nevertheless, she emphasizes that empathy and understanding are the most crucial aspects.
University Medical Center Göttingen on board
So far, the University Medical Center Göttingen has supported the offer—even if some did not initially believe in it. The nursing staff in the emergency room was initially skeptical, fearing more people milling about the crowded corridors, says von Arnim. "Now, colleagues are glad when we arrive because we relieve them of some work," Schneider reports.
Since September, the guides have been active in Göttingen. Since then, between 30-50 people have received care. However, the potential for assistance is greater, says Sabine Blaschke, medical director of the Central Emergency Room at UMG. Based on statistics, about 5-10% of individuals in emergency rooms have dementia or delirium, with this trend on the rise.
Foundation for Patient Protection sees value
The current project builds on a 2019 pilot project at Berlin's Charité. Its intention is to enhance healing opportunities. For instance, people experiencing delirium have a significantly higher risk of dying. Regular feedback rounds with questionnaires are held to evaluate the project by guides and nursing staff, explains Blaschke. Even minor improvements have been registered. Now, there's a bag containing books and games to engage patients and guides.
Plans to continue and expand the trial phase in Göttingen beyond 2025 are underway. The project has been successful in Berlin, aiming for continued implementation. Schneider even hopes, "Perhaps similar offers will become available across Germany soon." Unfortunately, health insurance does not currently cover this service.
The German Foundation for Patient Protection regards the project as beneficial. However, they consider professional staff preferred. Furthermore, they wish health insurance companies would be required to pay for clinic accommodation for relatives already present in the emergency room if medically necessary.
- Enhancing healing chances
- Hospital setting
- Göttingen
- Kerstin Schneider
- Relaxing atmosphere
- Personalized care
- Mannheim
- Berlin
- Delirium prevention
Key Insights:
- Improved Patient Experience:
- Individualized Care: Volunteer guides can provide tailored assistance based on each patient's requirements, fostering comfort and reducing anxiety in the hectic emergency room environment.
- Familiar Touch: Familiar faces can bring reassurance, especially for patients feeling disoriented or scared due to their condition.
- Effective Communication:
- Facilitated Connections: Guides can facilitate effective communication between patients, families, and hospital staff to ensure medical needs are satisfied.
- Person-Centric Tools: Using tools like "This is me" to understand patients' backgrounds and needs can lead to person-centered care.
- Caregiver Support:
- Emotional Support: Volunteer guides can offer emotional comfort and reassurance to caregivers who often experience stress and anxiety in such situations.
- Hospital Navigation: Guides can help family members navigate hospital services, reducing the burden on caregivers and supplying necessary information and support.
- Efficiency and Cooperation:
- Streamlined Processes: Volunteer programs can help patients navigate hospital protocols and ensure timely, appropriate care, reducing wait times and improving overall efficiency.
- Hospital Environment Navigation: Guides can help patients and families navigate the hospital environment, which can be overwhelming for those with dementia.
Implementing volunteer guide programs in hospitals can significantly enhance the care experience for dementia patients and their families. It's essential to provide guides with comprehensive training, integrate the program with existing services, and ensure they work cohesively with other hospital staff.
- The volunteer guide program in the University Medical Center Göttingen, spearheaded by Kerstin Schneider, aims to improve healing chances for dementia patients by creating a more relaxing atmosphere during their hospital stay.
- In addition to Göttingen, this program is also being implemented in Mannheim and Berlin, with the goal of expanding to more cities in the future.
- While the German Foundation for Patient Protection acknowledges the value of the volunteer guide program, they stress the importance of professional medical staff for comprehensive care, and suggest that health insurance companies should cover the cost of clinic accommodation for relatives already present in the emergency room if medically necessary.
