Sleep Patterns of Older Residents in Long-Term-Care Facilities: A Comparison with Older Adults in Home-Care Services and Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to characterize the sleep patterns of older residents in long-term-care facilities and compare them with those of older recipients in home-care services and community-dwelling older adults. Methods: The subjects of this study were 31 older residents in four long-term-care facilities, 30 older recipients in home-care services, and 28 community-dwelling older adults. Their sleep patterns were measured using an ActigraphTM (wGT3X-BT), which measures sleep latency, total sleep time, number of awakenings during sleep, total awakening time, and sleep efficiency. Results: The following variables were statistically significant among the sleep characteristics: sleep efficiency, total time in bed, wake after sleep onset, and average wake time. The sleep efficiency was lower for older residents in long-term-care facilities (F=2.69, p=.047) and the total time in bed (F=3.92, p=.024), wake after sleep onset (F=3.53, p=.34), and average wake time (F=6.15, p=.003) were longer. Conclusion: Older residents in long-term-care facilities showed more morbidity, lower cognitive function, and more significant depression than community-dwelling older adults. Additionally, their sleep efficiency was lower, and their wake time after sleep onset was longer. Based on the results, it is necessary to develop individualized and customized sleep-improvement plans that reflect the specific disease-related characteristics of older residents in long-termcare facilities. There is also a need to adjust the facility environment to improve their sleep.