Paper and pencil should be provided for the patient to improve communication when he or she cannot respond verbally due to intubation. Beds with a window view provide patients with important orienting information. The patient should be close to the nursing stations to facilitate close observation. However, these methods are less useful in the delirious patient with baseline dementia. Re-orientation is often unsuccessful in subjects with chronic memory loss, and may exacerbate confusion in these patients.
Psychosocial support is provided by both staff and family or friends.
Continuity in both nursing and medical staff can help reduce patient fears and paranoia of strange faces. Modification of staff behavior around delirious patients can be helpful. For example, reports exist of exacerbation of delirium in patients whose staff were wearing costumes around the holidays. Similarly, staff conversations within earshot of a delirious patient can easily be misinterpreted, perhaps contributing to fear or paranoia. In addition to the care provided by the staff, family or close friends can be extremely important in the management of patient's symptoms.