The Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP) was created in the 1990s and uses targeted interventions through trained volunteers to reduce cognitive and functional decline during hospitalization.The effectiveness of the program has been well established through a an initial randomized-controlled clinical trial and replicated in many studies.

This evidence-based program addresses a broad scope of geriatric issues and iatrogenic complications contributing to cognitive and functional decline during hospitalization. The specific program goals are to:

1. Maintain physical and cognitive functioning throughout hospitalization

2. Maximize independence at discharge

3. Increase number of patients discharged from hospital to home

4. Decrease length of stay

5. Prevent unplanned readmissions

Program benefits:

Outcomes

- Delirium reduction from 15% to 9.9% of cases (34% reduction)

- Decreased hospital length of stay

- Decrease inpatient falls by a 64% reduction

- Reduced complication and resource costs

- Improved quality of care and prevention of functional decline5 and cognitive decline

- Reduced hospital re-admissions

Cost-Savings

- Savings of up to $3,800 per patient in hospital costs and $16,000 per person-year in long-term care costs

- Savings of $121,425 per year in sitter costs and decreased delirium incidence

- Savings of more than $7.3 million per year in hospital costs (more than $1,000 in savings per patient)

Business Impact:

- Reduces incidence of delirium, a serious care concern associated with mortality rates of 25-33% in the hospital setting, increased morbidity, increased length of stay, and increased nursing intensity

- Improves quality of care and patient safety

- Enhances staff education, training, skill development, and job satisfaction

- Increases visibility of geriatric programming within an institution

- Assess early adoption and design of AGS Co-Care HELP at UChicago Medicine

- Assess impact of delirium prevention efforts on outcomes on units implementing program and compare to unit without programming

Trainee will assist assessment of the new program at HELP UChicago Medicine. Will assist with measuring outcomes, expansion efforts. Also will track outcomes of individuals receiving HELP intervention and compare to those without intervention

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American Geriatrics Society (AGS)

American Delirium Society