Relaxation Training for Nursing Home Patients

Thirteen nursing home patients, randomly assigned to a treatment or wait-list control group, completed a course in relaxation training. The goals of the study were to develop a well defined interdisciplinary treatment protocol; to evaluate treatment effectiveness; and to use these results to refine the original treatment protocol for future clinical application. Modest reductions in subjective pain and increments in morale were found in the treatment group as compared to the control group. Individual differences in ability to benefit from the group related to medical and psychiatric diagnoses, but not age. Relaxation training is a useful intervention for nursing home elderly, but treatments need to be simplified and structured for the nursing home population, and tailored to patients cognitive and psychiatric level.