Rooming-in for elderly surgical patients

Elderly patients are at risk for developing acute confusion during hospitalization. Rooming-in, an intervention frequently used for pediatric patients, was compared to usual care in a sample of 24 elderly patients hospitalized for orthopedic surgery. Although confusion during hospitalization, complicate rate, and length of stay did not differ between patients who did and did not have rooming-in, the family members and friends who roomed in were very satisfied with the experience. These findings suggest that rooming-in is feasible and highly satisfactory to the patient's family and/or friends.