新醫院計畫協助預防老年病患譫妄症
New hospital program helps prevent delirium in elderly patients
對於許多高齡病患而言，住院可能會感到不知所措，有時會導致一種突然且混亂的狀態，稱為譫妄。
For many elderly patients, a hospital stay can feel overwhelming, sometimes leading to a sudden, confusing state known as delirium.
重要的是，要知道譫妄並非老化不可避免的一部分，它是一種醫療併發症，通常可以透過主動且友善的長者照護來預防。
It is important to know that delirium is not an inevitable part of aging.
醫院目前正在採用「住院長者生活計畫」（HELP），該計畫專注於使用非藥物療法來保持病患的頭腦清醒與定向感。
Rather, it is a medical complication that can often be prevented through proactive, geriatric-friendly care.
跨領域團隊不再依賴藥物，而是採取簡單卻有效的策略，包括透過時鐘與熟悉的物品協助病患辨識方向、利用眼鏡或助聽器優化感官健康、促進更好的睡眠衛生，以及鼓勵儘早活動。
Hospitals are now adopting the Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP), which focuses on non-pharmacological methods to keep patients sharp and oriented.
研究顯示，這些結構化的方案能將譫妄發生率降低30%至40%。
These include helping patients with orientation by using clocks and familiar objects, optimizing sensory health with glasses or hearing aids, promoting better sleep hygiene, and encouraging early movement.
透過專注於這些以人為本的介入措施，醫療照護提供者正成功改變住院體驗，確保長者在返家時能維持認知功能，並獲得完善的康復歷程支持。
By also involving family members and reviewing medications, these programs address the root environmental and physiological causes of confusion.
