The Effect of Continuous Care Model on the Sleep Quality of the Elderly

Aging is accompanied by the mitigation of sleep quality in the elderly, thereby affecting their physical and social dimensions and quality of life. However, studies have not addressed sleep problems in the elderly by means of a holistic approach, such as continuous care model (CCM). The aim of this study was to determine the effects of CCM on sleep quality among the elderly. This quasi-experimental study was performed on 70 elderly individuals in a retirement center located in Zirab, Iran, in 2017, selected by convenience sampling method and randomly divided into two groups of control and intervention. Consequently, CCM was applied to the intervention group under four stages (i.e., orientation, sensitization, control, and evaluation) for 2 months averagely in 3-8 sessions in the retirement center under study. The data were collected in three stages using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Data analysis was performed in SPSS software (version 21), using generalized estimation equations (GEE). The participants of the control and intervention groups had the mean ages of 66.76±6.13 and 64.73±6.14 years, respectively. The GEE showed that the sleep quality of the intervention group differed significantly from that of the control group 1 and 2 months after the implementation of the CCM (P<0.001). Implications for Practice: Provision of CCM-based care for the elderly could improve their sleep quality. Therefore, this model could be used to promote sleep quality in the elderly in various clinical settings.