Development of an effective nursing intervention model as a complementary and alternative therapy for elderly persons in need of care at home and their family caregivers.

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K10607
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 58080:Gerontological nursing and community health nursing-related
• Research Institution: Saga University
• Principal Investigator: Tabuchi Yasuko 佐賀大学, 医学部, 教授 (90382431)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 室屋 和子 佐賀大学, 医学部, 准教授 (50299640) ; 松永 由理子 (明時由理子) 九州大学, 医学研究院, 講師 (50612074)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 高齢者 / 認知症高齢者 / 在宅ケア / 補完代替療法

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We conducted a survey of the actual sleep-wake rhythm of a woman in her 80s who was receiving home care with cognitive decline. The subject had a MMSE score of 20, required nursing care 3, used multiple home services, and her daughter-in-law was the primary caregiver. The mean total sleep time was 234 minutes, the mean sleep latency was 129 minutes, and the mean wake time was 218 minutes. The maximum total sleep time was 523 minutes, minimum total sleep time was 58 minutes, maximum sleep latency was 305 minutes, minimum sleep latency was 22 minutes, maximum mid-wake time was 471 minutes, and minimum mid-wake time was 78 minutes. The subject also had behavioral and psychological symptoms such as nocturnal delirium and day/night reversal, and caregiving was a burden on the caregivers' lives.

Free Research Field

老年看護学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

人口の高齢化に伴い、身体機能低下や認知機能障害を有する要介護高齢者の増加が社会的な課題である。特に、認知機能障害に伴い、BPSD （Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia）がみられる場合や睡眠障害を有する場合は、高齢者本人のQOLの低下のみならず、介護者の負担にもつながる。しかし、在宅で生活する要介護高齢者の夜間の睡眠状態に関する報告はほとんど見られない。
十分な研究成果を上げることはできなかったが、認知機能が低下している在宅療養中の高齢者ケースの睡眠の実態では、高齢者自身の睡眠障害とそれに伴う介護者の負担が非常に大きかった。