OPEN LETTER Play attention! Therapeutic aspects to play in delirium prevention and management [version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review] Michaela Lynn 1 , Bethan Goulden 2 , Meera Parmar 3 , Paul Knopp 1 , Michael Yeung 1 , Ian Giles 2 , Chloe Davies 4 , Anadel Espinosa 1 , Daniel Davis 1,5 1 Department of Medicine for the Elderly, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, NW1 2BU, UK 2 Centre for Rheumatology, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, NW1 2BU, UK 3 Department of General Medicine, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, NW1 2BU, UK 4 Children and Young People’s Services, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, NW1 2BU, UK 5 MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, Univsity College London, London, WC1E 7HB, UK First published: 25 Nov 2020, 5:277 https://doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16199.1 Latest published: 25 Nov 2020, 5:277 https://doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16199.1 v1 Abstract It is recognised that delirium is common among older adult inpatients and correlated with negative outcomes. The gold standard care for delirium management is achieved using multicomponent interventions. Which components work best is not yet well defined. During the COVID-19 outbreak, a paediatric ward was repurposed to treat adult patients. Paediatric nurses and play specialists remained on the ward. It was observed that the paediatric ward aesthetic and the team’s dedicated approach to cognitive stimulation and sleep promotion improved well-being among older adult patients. We propose that elements of paediatric care, primarily deployment of a play specialist, could be incorporated into a multicomponent intervention for delirium prevention and management. Keywords Delirium, play specialists, cognitive stimulation, older adults Open Peer Review Reviewer Status AWAITING PEER REVIEW Any reports and responses or comments on the article can be found at the end of the article. Page 1 of 5 Wellcome Open Research 2020, 5:277 Last updated: 25 NOV 2020