Abstract
BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a decline in memory, cognition, sleep quality, and activities of daily living. Non-pharmacological, nursing strategies are increasingly emphasized to improve the quality of life among patients with AD. AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness of nursing strategies on memory and sleep quality among patients with AD. METHODS: A quantitative, true experimental pretest-posttest control group design was adopted. The pilot study was conducted among 44 patients with AD (22 experimental and 22 control) selected through simple random sampling from a selected centers at Coimbatore. The experimental group received nursing strategies comprising visual images, mnemonic training, dyadic sleep intervention, and pumpkin seed supplementation for 3 months, while the control group received routine care. Memory was assessed using the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE), Activity of Daily Living (ADL) inventory and sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for analysis. RESULTS: Postintervention, the experimental group demonstrated significant improvement in memory (t = 10.962, P < 0.001) and sleep quality (t = 14.329, P < 0.001) compared to the control group, which showed no significant changes. CONCLUSION: Nursing strategies were effective in improving memory and sleep quality among patients with AD. These findings support the incorporation of structured nursing interventions into routine Alzheimer's care.