“Useful and holistic”: Evaluating the feasibility of a brief sleep health training program for aged care staff to support residents’ sleep and wellbeing

OBJECTIVES: Environmental and behavioural strategies are well-placed for supporting sleep in residential aged care homes (RACH); however, their use remains limited due to workplace constraints and limited targeted training. This study presents the feasibility of a single-session sleep training program designed to build workplace capability in supporting sleep health in RACHs. METHODS: The training was developed in collaboration with management team members of the participating RACH to ensure relevance and applicability. Training content included psychoeducation on sleep and ageing, practical sleep assessment tools, and a range of environmental and behavioural strategies. Feasibility was measured through training attendance, participants' intended use of strategies, the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire, a sleep quiz designed to assess sleep knowledge, and adapted items from the Graduate Psychologists Knowledge, Attitudes and Practice in Sleep Scale, which measured confidence, skill self-efficacy, and preparedness to support sleep. RESULTS: =44.7 years, SD=15.8). Participants responded positively to the training and intended to apply the knowledge and skills from the training in their roles. Pre-and post-training comparisons revealed significant improvements in sleep knowledge (p=.008), skill self-efficacy (p=.026), confidence (p=.004) and preparedness (p=.011) in supporting sleep. CONCLUSION: A single session training session was feasible and resulted in measurable gains in participants' knowledge, skills and confidence to support sleep. These findings highlight the importance of collaborating with RACHs to develop tailored training programs to enhance the likelihood of sustainable integration of sleep support practices into routine care.