Non-pharmacological management of night-time agitation and sleep problems in dementia: use of the physical environment in nursing homes

Night-time agitation and sleep problems in persons with dementia pose a heavy burden on the persons themselves and the caregivers. Prior research of LUCAS has explored how nursing home staff copes with night-time agitation and sleep problems in residents with dementia. Thispilot study in seven nursing homes demonstrated that for example too much light and noise go along with night-time agitation and sleep problems. Furthermore, it is shown that awareness of the use of the physical environment is limited (Van Vracem, Spruytte, Declercq & Van Audenhove 2015). The aim of this project is to strengthen the evidence base on how nursing homes use the physical environment for the management of night-time agitation and sleep problems in their residents with dementia. We enlarge the research sample by investigating ten other nursing homes in Belgium and Luxembourg. The same research design is used as in the pilot study: an unstructured observation during one nightin the nursing home and semi-structured interviews with caregiving staff. Additionally, we incorporate a measurement of the light and noiselevel at night. The findings are presented and discussed with the participating organizations. A practice-based checklist on environmentalfactors is developed and pilot-tested in these nursing homes. The aim isto inform nursing home staff and stimulate them in initiating actions towards a more calm and beneficial environment at night.

Keywords:night-time agitation, Dementia, physical environment, nursing homes

Disciplines:Gerontology and geriatrics, Nursing