Assisted Living Residents Should Not Suffer From Sleep Disturbance

There are 14 assisted living facilities in the City of McFarland. The Los Angeles Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Ben Yeroushalmi understands the challenges of finding the right assisted living facility for your loved one and wants the people of McFarland to be knowledgeable of the risk factors that can increase the vulnerability of older adult residents in these facilities. Factors such low staffing levels and uneducated staff directly responsible for caring for older adult residents are strong indicators of poor quality of care. It is important that assisted living facility staff ensure high quality of care that meets all the health needs of their elderly residents, including quality sleep.

A recent article published by the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society states that sleep disturbance is extremely common among older adult assisted living facility residents and that getting poor quality of sleep can lead to a lower functional status and quality of life, while increasing the risk of depression. Over recent years, the older adult population in assisted living facilities has increased. These facilities provide a home for these residents who are unable to live on their own, but do not need nursing home-level care. These residents typically function more autonomously than nursing home patients and have more independence in their daily lives. Nonetheless, strong evidence suggests that assisted living facility residents are still vulnerable individuals, with great risk for future functional decline and consequent placement in a skilled nursing facility. Statistics show that between 24 and 40% of assisted living facility residents are transferred to a long-term care facility every year.

Many studies have shown that older adults in assisted living facilities are increasingly suffering from sleep disturbance that results in significant deterioration of health, greater functional impairment, higher risk of falls, depression, lower quality of life, and increased risk of mortality. Evidence has shown that insomnia and sleepiness during daylight hours significantly reduces the level of functioning in assisted living residents. Activities of daily living, such as bathing, eating, and dressing, were especially difficult to perform for residents who experienced sleep disturbance in the night. Another study found that residents in assisted living have greater fragmented sleep during the night than older adults who live at home.

These studies’ findings suggest that interventions focusing on improving sleep disturbance in older adults living in assisted living facilities are necessary because they can promote functional status and improve depressive symptoms. Additionally, these interventions can also improve other important consequences of functional status decline, such as increased need for help in performing personal care and eventual transitions into nursing homes.

Assisted living facilities that serve the older adult community of McFarland must take responsibility for all aspects of care that these residents need, including high quality sleep. The experienced attorneys and experts at Yeroushalmi Law are passionate advocates of older adults who have been victims of abuse or neglect in an assisted living facility. If you or someone you love has been provided inappropriate or inadequate care by assisted living staff, contact elder abuse attorney Ben Yeroushalmi today for a free initial consultation.