Improving Sleep Quality for Nursing Home Residents Aged 50 and Older with Alzheimers or Related Dementias Using the LOCK Frontline Staff Huddling Program

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to improve clinical outcomes for nursing home residents aged 50 and older who have Alzheimers disease or related dementias and experience sleep problems. The study focuses on testing an evidence-based intervention designed to enhance sleep quality in this vulnerable group, addressing issues caused by nursing home routines that often disturb residents sleep. The investigation also explores how well the intervention can be implemented and sustained over time in real-world nursing home settings. The intervention being studied is called the LOCK sleep program, which trains frontline nursing home staff to use huddling techniques based on strengths-based learning, teamwork, and systematic observation. Each nursing home acts as its own control, with one week of baseline data collection followed by a ten-week active intervention phase and a five-week sustainment phase. The LOCK program teaches staff to collaboratively solve sleep challenges and promote best practices for sleep and meaningful daytime activity in residents. Participants will be monitored over a 15-week period, during which sleep will be measured using actigraphy. Researchers will also track secondary outcomes such as use of psychotropic medications, pain treatment and reports, and decline in activities of daily living. The study involves data collection and observation to assess the programs impact, sustainment, and factors influencing implementation across 24 nursing homes. Safety and adherence are monitored throughout the study period, with all nursing home residents eligible for the intervention once baseline data is collected.

Enhancing Sleep Quality for Nursing Home Residents With Dementia - R33 Phase