Course Overview

Understand some of the issues older people have with their sleep, learn about the association between sleep and dementia, and uncover ways that nurses and care workers can optimise sleep for those living in aged care.

Learning Outcomes

After completing this course, staff should be able to:

• Understand the importance and role of sleep, what happens when we sleep, how sleep patterns change with age, and the effects of disrupted sleep.
• Describe factors influencing sleep, including depression, physical activity and diet, sleep apnoea, medications, light & circadian rhythms, plus mental & social engagement.
• Describe key points about the timing and quality of sleep – restorative sleep.
• Describe the role of the following factors in assessing sleep in an older person: medications, diet and exercise, exposure to light, social & cognitive engagement, depression, pain, and environmental factors.
• Conduct a sleep assessment, using the SleepCog tool.
• Describe a range of strategies to improve sleep in an older person.