Communication with the patient and their family members or close ones has an essential role in patient care. In order to create a feeling of safety, it is important that the patient can speak their native language.
D: Hi, I came to see my mom. I called the emergency response centre because she was somehow disoriented and absentminded this morning. The ambulance came and the paramedic said they would bring my mum here. Is she here?
N: Hi, I need your mum’s name and personal identity code, so I can check if she’s here.
D: Pirkko Tossavainen, the identity code is 200240-222A.
N: Pirkko is in bed four. We can go see her. She has been given a sedative, so she won’t necessarily understand that you’ve come to visit her.
D: I see. Thanks for letting me know.
N: Here she is, she seems to be asleep. She has just been examined, so it’s good to let her sleep.
D: Of course. Why has she been given a sedative and is that why she’s sleeping?
N: She has been diagnosed with delirium which means a disturbed state of consciousness, but we don’t know the reason for that yet. She has been given a sedative so that she wouldn’t hurt herself.
D: What can have caused this condition? She was fine yesterday, but this morning
she wasn’t her usual self.
N: This condition can be caused by many different factors. It can be caused by a disturbance in vital functions, disturbance in fluid- or electrolyte balance or a disturbance in brain function. We don’t know the cause yet.
D: When shall we get more information?
N: We’ll perform further examinations and try to examine the cause as best we can.
D: Could I have prevented this somehow?
N: I don’t think so. A condition like this can develop unnoticed, and in most cases it develops without an external cause.
D: Thank you for the information. Can I stay with my mum?
N: Yes, you can. That would be good for your mother. When disoriented, familiar things and people can help her orientate to her surroundings.
D: Thanks a lot. What shall I do when she wakes up?
N: Stay with her. It would be good if you could get through to her. You can call a nurse, if needed. Do you have any other questions?
D: No, no questions right now.
N: Alright. If there’s something, you can use the nurse call button, and I’ll be with you.
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