Sleep disturbance in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is associated with progression to Alzheimer’s disease (AD), more severe AD symptoms, and worse health outcomes. The aim of this review was to examine the relationship between sleep and MCI, and the effectiveness of sleep improvement interventions for older adults with MCI or AD. An integrative review was conducted using four databases, and findings were analyzed using an iterative process. Findings from 24 studies showed that alterations in sleep increased the risk of MCI and that the sleep quality of individuals with MCI or AD was poorer than healthy controls. Changes in brain anatomy were also observed in healthy older adults with sleep disturbances. Examined interventions were shown to be effective in improving sleep. Screening for sleep disturbances in individuals with MCI/AD is crucial to mitigate neurodegenerative or neurobehavioral risks in this population.

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Aim To understand the experience of critical care nurses when performing common, yet error‐prone, programming tasks on two unfamiliar intravenous smart pumps. Design A qualitative descriptive study using data collected during a previous quantitative pilot study. Methods Following completion of common intravenous programming tasks each participant was interviewed using a semi‐structured interview guide. All interview data were coded line‐by‐line and thematic analysis revealed themes across all participants' interviews. Results The following four themes were identified: appreciation for attractive design features, the need for efficiency, the importance of intuitive use and concern for patient outcomes. Overall, these themes provide evidence that nurses strongly prefer a more usable intravenous smart pump interface that integrates safeguards to efficiently improve patient outcomes. Findings support the need for intravenous smart pump technology to be developed with an intuitive interface that decreases the level of cognitive demand and will lead to improved patient safety.

Normally occurring changes in sleep patterns can affect behavior, safety, and function in older individuals. In addition, altered sleep of one partner can affect the functioning of the other. We tested a novel intervention using an off the shelf, wrist-worn actigraph as a personal sleep monitoring device (PSMD) with dyads comprised of individuals who were 70 years old or older, and slept in the same house. Aims included: 1) Establish the feasibility of sleep self-monitoring using PSMDs, as a self-management strategy. 2) Establish the feasibility of PSMD data sharing among members of the dyad to improve sleep self-management and improve sleep quality; and 3) Evaluate the usability of PSMDs and data sharing for dyads of older individuals. Over the course of a five-week trial, we used a mixed methods approach. Data were comprised of daily sleep diaries, data from the PSMD, weekly questionnaires regarding sleep patterns and function, and qualitative interviews focused on sleep, self-management within the dyad, and the usability of the PSMD. Data were analyzed using qualitative or statistical methods. The use of the PSMD increased awareness of sleep patterns at the individual and dyadic levels, but the limitations of the PSMD were frustrating. Participants valued having a graphic image of how their daily activities affected their sleep patterns. The dyadic approach was effective in improving sleep patterns for older individuals, and using over the counter activity monitoring devices provide a relatively inexpensive way to assist older adults to improve their sleep self-management.

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