Do Warmed Blankets Change Pain, Agitation, Mood or Analgesic Use Among Nursing Home Residents?
Overview:
Nursing home residents frequently experience pain, feeling too cold in the environment, and agitation. While warmed blankets are often used in hospital settings to promote thermal, physical, and psychological comfort, we conducted the first research on the use of warmed blankets in long-term care.
Results:
Approximately one fourth of our residents used warmed blankets during the study period. Warmed blankets were associated with decreased agitation, number of pain complaints, severity of pain, and use of analgesics. Warmed blankets are a low-cost intervention that can bring comfort to older adults. The full study was published: Kovach, C. R., Putz, M., Guslek, B., & McInnes, R. (2019). Do Warmed Blankets Change Pain, Agitation, Mood or Analgesic Use Among Nursing Home Residents? Pain Management Nursing, 20(6), 526-531.
