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Utility of staff training on correcting sleep problems in people with intellectual disabilities living in residential settings
- Authors:
- HYLKEMA Tejo, PETITIAUX Wanda, VLASKAMP Carla
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 8(2), June 2011, pp.85-91.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Sleep problems are common in people with intellectual disabilities (ID), and may aggravate behavioural problems or cause functional irritations during the day. The cause of sleep problems can be intrinsic factors having a physical origin or extrinsic factors linked to environmental causes. This study examined how to introduce training to improve the knowledge and understanding of sleep quality and sleep problems in people with ID among care staff at a residential facility in order to reduce extrinsic sleep problems. The study was carried out over 19 weeks in 2 residential care institutions in the northern part of the Netherlands. The care staff were divided into 2 groups: the first was offered a lecture and a workshop; and the second was only offered a lecture. Sleep efficiency and sleep latency in the residents with ID who were not suspected of having sleep problems were measured 4 times. In both groups, sleep efficiency rose significantly. The time spent in bed by residents overseen by the first group was reduced significantly, and there was a significant reduction of daily napping time. In the second group, there was a significant increase of daily napping time and in the number of naps. The article concludes that educational techniques, such as lectures and workshops, provided to staff can lead to significant improvements in residents' sleep efficiency.
Day services for people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities: an analysis of thematically organized activities
- Authors:
- PUTTEN Anette van der, VLASKAMP Carla
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 8(1), March 2011, pp.10-17.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
A recent idea to emerge in the Netherlands for improving the quality of activities provided for people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities is to organise these activities of thematically, with activities offered in thematic rooms at a centre where clients spend the whole day. This in-depth study aimed to analyse the nature and duration of activities organised according to theme offered at a particular day service centre. The study focused on 23 adult attendees with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities. Information was collected on the number, type and length of activities offered and the duration of individual attention each attendee was given during activities. The study found that 63% of the activities were care-related activities (such as starting and finishing the day, waiting and resting), and that the other type of activities offered showed less variation than expected, with watching television or listening to music representing a substantial part of the programme and artistic and creative activities or playing and games offered less frequently. More time was spent giving attention to individuals than to the group when compared with non-thematic centres, but the percentage of individual attention provided was highest during care-related activities. The expected effects of using a thematically centred model, such as less waiting, more variety, and more individual attention, were only partially found, and the authors suggest that further research is required.