Nonpharmacologic strategies to manage delirium include which of the following?

Study for ELNEC 4: Symptom Management in Palliative Care Test with flashcards and multiple choice questions. Hints and explanations included! Get ready for your exam!

Delirium management centers on supporting orientation and stabilizing the sleep-wake cycle through nonpharmacologic means. Keeping the patient oriented helps reduce confusion and misperception. Use frequent gentle reorientation, visible clocks and calendars, involvement of family, and familiar belongings to anchor the person in reality. Promoting sleep and minimizing daytime disruptions are also key: plan structured daytime activity, limit nighttime awakenings, control noise and lighting, and ensure comfort, hydration, pain control, and mobility. Together these steps address common delirium triggers and can lessen severity and duration, often reducing the need for sedating medications.

Isolating the patient from family removes crucial familiar cues and can increase confusion. Routine sedatives tend to worsen delirium and mask its symptoms. Bright light therapy can help regulate circadian rhythms, but using bright light at night is usually counterproductive and should be timed during the day as part of a broader rhythm strategy.