A nurse in a long-term care facility notes that an older resident ...

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A nurse in a long-term care facility notes that an older resident with Alzheimer's disease awakens frequently at night and is restless and agitated. Which of the following interventions will be most effective to help manage this resident's sleep problems?
 
  a. Taking the resident outside in the garden for 45 minutes daily
  b. Limiting fluid intake for the resident
  c. Educating the resident on the association between Alzheimer's Disease and insom-nia
  d. Administering a mild sedative hypnotic at bedtime

Question 2

When an older adult client is diagnosed with restless leg syndrome (RLS), the nurse is confident that client education on the condition's contributing factors has been effective when the client states:
 
  a. A warm bath at night instead of in the morning is my new routine.
  b. Eating a banana at breakfast assures me the potassium I need.
  c. I've cut way back on my caffeinated coffee, teas, and sodas.
  d. I elevate my legs on a pillow so as to im-prove circulation.

[micaelaswann]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: A
Behavioral strategies for persons with dementia include daily walks and exposure to light to en-hance sleep. Limiting fluid intake may or may not be effective depending on whether or not the resident has nocturia. Educating the resident about the association between AD and insomnia may be feasible depending on the resident's mental status but will not necessarily ameliorate the problem. Sedative hypnotics are not the first-line treatment for older adults with AD and sleep disturbances.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: C
Increased caffeine use can be a contributing factor to RLS. There is no research to confirm that a warm bath prior to sleep or elevating the legs will minimize/prevent RLS. A potassium deficiency has not been identified as a contributing factor to RLS.