STAFF at a Tavistock care home have found a new and innovative to help their residents.

Carers at Crelake House on Whitchurch Road in Tavistock have trialled wearing pyjama-style scrubs at night-time.

The results of the trial have shown that it has helped its residents dramatically. Staff said that it has hugely reduced sleep deprivation, as well as reducing the pacing and disorientation for residents living with dementia.

Staff added that many residents at Crelake House found it hard to differentiate between day and night and as a result had problems sleeping.

Both the day and the night care teams traditionally wore identical green scrubs but in a bid to help residents tell the difference, care workers on the night-time shifts had been wearing pyjama-style tunics.

Due to infection control guidelines, staff cannot wear pyjamas, but home manager Zoe Hickman came up with the idea of night-time patterned tunics for night staff.

She said: ‘We thought we’d try out a pyjama style tunic for the night carers to help minimise sleep deprivation, pacing and disorientation for our residents living with dementia.

‘The initiative met with a really good response from most of the residents and we’ve seen a drastic improvement in their sleep patterns, so the switch has been made permanent.’

She added: ‘It is remarkable how a simple change in uniform can have such drastic impact on the lives of those living with dementia.’

Disorientation and pacing was a regular occurrence during night time hours at the care home, leading to sleep deprivation and associated lack of energy, irritability and mood swings.