May 28, 2025
NEW TIME: 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Delirium and Older Adults:
Assessing, Preventing, and Intervening in the Community Context
Presented by:
Sam Theesfeld, MN, BS, RN, CNRN and Teresa McCarthy MD,MS,CMD
This module on Delirium explores how delirium impacts older adults medically, socially, and holistically. While this lesson covers delirium assessment and non-pharmacologic interventions, we do not cover intensive care nor acute care management of delirium. Ultimately, delirium is still an emergency and will always require urgent assessment.
However, under the right conditions, we’ll discuss where delirium may be managed outside of the hospital (and where it should not be managed residentially). Our hope is that this content will align with more progressive models of delirium care while also honoring patient safety.
Finally, we provide many evidence-based guidelines to support this work, which are available in the resources section at the end of the module.
Presenters:
Sam Theesfeld, MN, BS, RN, CNRN
Samuel Theesfeld MN, BS, RN, CNRN is a PhD student in Nursing at the University of Minnesota. Sam grew up just west of the Twin Cities and has two prior degrees from the University of Minnesota (an undergraduate degree in Biology and a pre-licensure master's degree in Nursing). As a second degree nurse, he is happy to have found an engaging career focused on holistic health and wellbeing (even if his path to nursing was indeed a little circuitous). Sam hopes to serve as a nursing professor upon completion of his academic program.
He became interested in working with older adults during nursing school, particularly with those suffering from neurologic and cardiovascular disorders. Sam Theesfeld co-authored an educational toolkit with professors Dr. Teresa McCarthy MD MS CMD and Dr. Kristine Talley PhD, CNP, RN, FGSA.
The toolkit is a delirium care module to focus on appropriate community care and prevention of delirium. The creation of this geriatric educational toolkit is with support of the Minnesota Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program at the University of Minnesota.
Teresa McCarthy, MD, MS
Teresa McCarthy, MD, MS, Associate Professor Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Minnesota. Dr. McCarthy is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Minnesota.
As a geriatrician educator, she leads geriatric educational initiatives for interprofessional team care specializing in geriatric syndrome assessment and management, transitions management, and long-term care medical direction. She leads the Dementia Friends initiative for the MN Northstar GWEP.
1.0 CEU is provided after the presentation
The Age-Friendly Care and Education Collection is a curated online library of educational, clinical, and research resources for educators, health professionals, learners, and others interested in improving care for older adults. This fully searchable collection includes citations and links to resources including geriatric competencies, clinical guidelines, education toolkits / modules, case studies, clinical tools, preceptor materials, patient and caregiver education materials, journal articles, videos, and more. Contributions of Age-Friendly resources are welcomed at this website!
