Nursing staff’s experiences of how weighted blankets influence resident’s in nursing homes expressions of health

Eva Hjort Telhede, Susann Arvidsson, Staffan Karlsson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

9 Citations (Scopus)
59 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Purpose: The most common treatment for resident’s health problems is pharmacological. Little research has been done on how an intervention with a non-pharmacological method, such as a weighted blanket, Through the nursing staff view, we can learn how weighted blankets influence resident’s health in nursing homes. The aim of this study was to explore nursing staff’s experiences of how an intervention with weighted blankets influenced resident’s expressions of health. 

Methods: The study had a descriptive qualitative design with semi-structured interviews with 20 nursing staff working in nursing homes, and an inductive content analysis was applied. 

Results: The nursing staff expressed that the weighted blanket positively influenced resident’s health in the areas of sleep, physical activity, and psychological behaviour. The weighted blanket made them fall asleep faster, sleep was uninterrupted andthey felt more rested in the morning. The nursing staff observed an increased level of activity as the resident became more energetic. The nursing staff also experienced reduced negative psychological behaviours like anxiety and worrying. 

Conclusion: This study indicated that the weighted blanket changed the health expression of resident in several crucial areas. Deep pressure treatment indicates an alternative health-improved treatment for resident in nursing homes.

Original languageEnglish
Article number2009203
Pages (from-to)1-13
Number of pages13
JournalInternational Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being
Volume17
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022-Dec

Swedish Standard Keywords

  • Nursing (30305)

Keywords

  • Experiences
  • health problem
  • non-pharmacological intervention
  • nursing home
  • nursing staff
  • older person
  • sleep problems
  • sleep-promoting
  • weighted blanket

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