Grant: Summer Program in Aging

Patients who need heart operations are getting older and weaker. These patients often experience difficulties such as new confusion called delirium which occurs in roughly 1 in 5 patients after their operation. Symptoms can include, abnormal thinking or perceptions (such as hallucinations). These symptoms can be quite scary and, in some cases, can lead to longer-term issues with memory or new mental health issues such as depression or post-traumatic stress disorder. In addition, severe cases of delirium results in longer stay in the hospital and an even greater risk of death. Furthermore, taking care of a patient with delirium can be more difficult than the treatment of heart disease itself. Delirium once it occurs, does not have any specific treatment, so often the "best medicine" is prevention. Previous studies in patients undergoing hip or knee operation have found that physical activity before the operation may improve brain function to reduce the chances of experiencing delirium. However, there is not much information for the heart surgery patient, who are usually less active and more likely to experience delirium as compared to other types of major surgery. The purpose of this study is to see if a low-cost plan of basic, scheduled physical activity is safe and helps predict delirium occurrence after heart operation.