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will have six weeks till March 20th 2025 to collect 30,000 signatures—only then will our voices be heard!

Please support the Bundestag petition “Action Plan Delirium” by registering for the campaign beforehand to receive notifications, or by signing it directly once it’s active.

With your signature, you will help improve patient safety, strengthen resources in the healthcare system, and prevent delirium proactively. This is a crucial step to support patients, their families, and healthcare professionals in hospitals, care facilities, and outpatient services.

Let’s make a difference together—your support counts!



👉 Here’s the link to the petition:
https://epetitionen.bundestag.de/petitionen/_2025/_01/_20/Petition_176933.nc.html

An initiative by:



The petition is supported by:

Univ.-Prof. Dr. med.univ. M. Gosch, Präsident der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Geriatrie, Klinikum Nürnberg
Dr. F. Halzl-Yürek, Charité Berlin, Deutschland
Dr. R. Hecker, Vorsitzende des Aktionsbündnis Patientensicherheit e.V.
Prof. Dr. F Hoffmannn, Präsident der Deutschen Interdisziplinären Vereinigung für Intensiv- und Notfallmedizin DIVI, LMU München
Prof. Dr. J. Osterbrink, Paracelsus Medizinische Privatuniversität, Salzburg, Österreich; Weltgesundheitsorganisation Europa
A. Rädlein, Deutscher Verband für Physiotherapie e.V.
Prof. Dr. med. Dr. phil. Michael A. Rapp, Präsident der Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gerontopsychiatrie und –psychotherapie e.V., Berlin
Dr. J. Schick, Vorstandspräsident Initiative Qualitätsmedizin e.V.
S. Staack, Vorsitzender der Deutschen Alzheimer Gesellschaft e.V.
C. Vogler, Präsidentin des Deutschen Pflegerates e.V., Berlin
Prof. Dr. F. Weidner, Institut für Pflegewissenschaft, Universität Koblenz und DIP e.V.
A. Wendlik, 1. Vorsitzende der Deutschen Sepsishilfe e.V.

Petition's text

Petition

In Germany, hundreds of thousands of patients develop delirium each year. An undetected and untreated delirium often leads to prolonged hospital stays, lasting cognitive impairments, increased need for care, and additional costs of approximately €1.6 billion annually. However, 30% to 50% of delirium cases can be prevented if adequate resources are made available.

This petition calls for an action plan to prevent and treat delirium.

Rationale
What is Delirium?

Delirium is a sudden disruption of brain function, causing difficulties with staying alert, being awake, or understanding one’s surroundings. It often develops within hours and can last for days.
How common is Delirium?

Delirium affects about 20% of hospital patients, particularly older adults, surgical patients, young children, and intensive care patients. It is frequently overlooked because it does not receive the attention it requires.
Consequences of Delirium:

• Mortality: Delirium doubles to triples one-year mortality rates in individuals over 65 years old.
• Prolonged hospital stays: Affected patients remain hospitalized up to 10 days longer.
• Dementia risk: Delirium increases the risk of developing dementia by 12 times.
• Institutionalization: Older adults with delirium are five times more likely to enter nursing homes.
• Readmissions: 30% are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days.
• Functional decline: The risk of mobility and self-care difficulties doubles.
• Costs: Delirium results in €1.6 billion in additional healthcare costs annually in Germany.

Delirium Can Be Prevented

30–50% of delirium cases can be avoided through sufficient and well-trained staff, as well as measures like education, early mobilization, support with hydration, access to glasses/hearing aids, and sleep promotion.
Our Demand:

We call on the Ministry of Health to collaborate with healthcare professionals, health insurers, welfare organizations, and affected individuals to develop an Action Plan Delirium. This plan aims to strengthen resources in hospitals, care facilities, and outpatient services, improve patient safety, and prevent delirium.

👉 Here’s the link to the petition:
https://epetitionen.bundestag.de/petitionen/_2025/_01/_20/Petition_176933.nc.html

Lou's experiences

Louise ("Lou") went to the hospital for a planned routine operation, which was supposed to last only a few days. Unfortunately, she suffered severe complications after the surgery, including an esophageal rupture, severe sepsis, acute kidney failure, and a collapsed lung. She required emergency surgery and was ventilated in the intensive care unit (ICU) for 10 days. During this time, she experienced delirium. Lou spent another three months in the hospital before finally being discharged home.

While in the ICU, Lou suffered from severe delirium. She lost touch with reality and instead experienced intense, often frightening hallucinations. She imagined being at a party with many people, but also endured visions of torture and abuse. These hallucinated experiences felt absolutely real to her and left a lasting impact. Lou recounts: “Even today, I can still feel, taste, see, and hear everything that happened.” Her memories of these events continue to affect her.

The rehabilitation process was excellent, with outstanding work by the physiotherapists, nurses, and doctors. It took time for Lou to regain her strength and mental clarity. However, she felt alone in dealing with her delirium experiences. She was hesitant to talk about them, and no one asked her. The lack of information about delirium and its aftermath was a burden for both Lou and her family. It wasn’t until months after her discharge that she received a diagnosis: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Subsequent psychological support helped her process her experiences and better understand her triggers.

Lou's key takeaway: patients and families need to be informed about delirium early on. She emphasizes the importance of holistic rehabilitation and continuous support for reintegration into life.

Her message: “Recovery doesn’t end with discharge—it often begins there.”




With permission from Louise Gallie, Torpoint in Cornwall, United Kingdom.

Lou now volunteers at University Hospital Plymouth (Derriford), helping others process their experiences with delirium.

Further resources:

• Lou’s Blog (English): https://fromdeliriumtoreality.com/
• In-depth Publication (English): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36987592/
• Lou’s Story, featured by a BBC journalist and Plymouth College of Art, on YouTube (English): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adHX9Q_1Sag

Collaboration

RegisterYou can register with your email address via SurveyMonkey to stay informed.Sign the PetitionOnce the petition is online, you can sign it here:👉 Here’s the link to the petition:

https://epetitionen.bundestag.de/petitionen/_2025/_01/_20/Petition_176933.nc.html

Share Your Ideas with Us!The Action Plan:

• Do you have ideas for an action plan to prevent and treat delirium?

• Do you have suggestions for hospitals, long-term care facilities, or outpatient services?

• Do you have recommendations for patients, their families, or healthcare professionals?

• Do you have ideas for policymakers and health insurance providers?

We’re collecting your ideas via SurveyMonkey and will list them here—if you wish, with your name or anonymously!

Proposed and Collected IdeasIdeas for the General Action Plan on Delirium

• Free checklists for caregivers to recognize early signs of delirium.

• Use of modern technology, such as tablets, for cognitive exercises during hospital stays.

Ideas for Preventing and Treating Delirium

• Every hospital should have an interdisciplinary team dedicated to delirium prevention from the very first moment.

• Simple measures like daylight lamps and regular social interactions could prevent a great deal of suffering.

• Empathetic conversations that provide patients with safety and orientation could be a first step in preventing delirium.

Ideas for Hospitals, Long-Term Care Facilities, and Outpatient Services

• Implementation of standardized screenings for delirium risks upon admission to hospitals and care facilities.

• Promotion of patient mobility and cognitive stimulation through structured daily programs.

• Hospital rooms designed to feel more like home, incorporating familiar colors, daylight, and soothing sounds—spaces that calm and protect.

• Care homes could create small “clarity oases” to support residents experiencing early signs of delirium.

• Development of specific guidelines for designing patient-friendly spaces that foster orientation and calmness.

• More staff, better-trained staff, and above all, time for genuine care!

• Quickly implementable: Orientation boards displaying time, day of the week, and weather in all rooms.

• Introduction of a “delirium consultation hour” in outpatient care centers.

Ideas for Patients, Families, and Professionals

• Regular training for medical staff on delirium prevention and management.

• Introduction of easily accessible training programs for family members on early detection and managing delirium.

• Distribution of informational brochures with evidence-based tips for caregivers and patients.

• Development of an app providing real-time information and tips for families on handling delirium.

• Online workshops for patients and family members to share experiences.

• A “buddy system” pairing patients and families with former patients who have had similar experiences.

• A simple yet effective idea: A small journal for family members to document daily life for delirium patients, offering them a sense of orientation.

Ideas for Politics and Health Insurance

• We need a healthcare system that prioritizes humanity: Delirium prevention should be a fundamental right!

• Mandatory inclusion of delirium prevention in quality indicators for hospitals and care facilities.

• Increased funding for prevention campaigns focusing on delirium. Delirium management must be financially incentivized!

• Establishment of funding programs for clinics that develop innovative delirium prevention measures.

• Health insurance providers could promote prevention programs that benefit them in the long run—less delirium means fewer costs due to complications.

• At the political level, tax incentives should be created to motivate care facilities to implement delirium prevention measures.