Abstract:
This quasi-experimental research aimed to compare sleep quality in older persons with dementia before and after receiving nursing care using aromatherapy, and to compare sleep quality in older persons with dementia between the experimental group and control group. The subjects were 44 men and women aged 60 85 years in the Senior Hospital. They were divided into 2 groups: 22 persons in each group, and were matched pair by sex, age, stage of dementia, medication affecting to sleep. The control group received conventional nursing care while the experimental group received the nursing care using aromatherapy for four weeks. The instruments of this study were the nursing care with aromatherapy program which was approved by 5 experts, obtaining a CVI of .92. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, acceptable reliability at .83. The data were analyzed using descriptive and t- test statistics. The results are summarized as follows: 1. The quality of sleep in older persons with dementia after received the nursing care using aromatherapy was significantly better than before received program. (p < .05). 2. The quality of sleep in older persons with dementia after received the nursing care using aromatherapy was significantly better than the subject receiving conventional care. (p < .05).