Managing difficult behaviour

Sometimes patients with delirium can become aggressive and make providing care challenging

First use conservative measures

  • Treat the cause of delirium

  • Try to reassure and re-orintate the patient

  • Call their family in

  • Surround them with familiar items

  • Give them activities to do

  • Cheryl the Dementia Specialist Nurse can help: call 2782 or HCR referral

If all else fails, and patients are a risk to themselves or others, consider medication

  • Use PRN 0.5mg Haloperidol PO or IM (max BD)

  • Or if a patient has Parkinson's disease or Lewy Body Dementia - instead use Lorazepam 0.5mg PO or IM (max BD)

Refer to Dementia Specialist Nurse and Liaison Psychiatry

  • Dementia CNS: Cheryl Smithers - call 2782 or refer on HCR

  • Liaison psych: bleep 5481 or HCR