Treating Sleep Problems in VA Adult Day Health Care

The Veterans Millennium Health Care and Benefits Act (Millennium Act) of 1999 mandated the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide non-institutional long-term care to veterans. Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) is a key component of that spectrum of long-term care services. Veterans in ADHC commonly suffer from limited poor functioning, depression, cognitive problems and low quality of life. These factors can lead to continued deterioration in functioning, loss of independence, hospitalizations, nursing home placement and death. Sleep disruption is associated with depression, low quality of life, functional decline, nursing home placement, and death among older people. Sleep disturbance is common among ADHC patients, it is not addressed within routine clinical care, and treatment may be limited to medications. Studies show that untreated insomnia and medications for insomnia can increase risk of falls and other health events among older persons. On the other hand, non-medication treatments for sleep do not show these problems. These treatments have been shown to be effective in other studies. The goal of this study is to test non-medication treatments to improve sleep among older Veterans with insomnia in a VA ADHC program. The study design will facilitate translation into routine care and application in other similar VA programs.