Sundowning or “sundowner’s syndrome” is a set of behaviors that commonly occurs among people suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s. Researchers haven’t discovered the exact cause, but it’s thought to be caused by changes in the brain due to disease progression. You may have seen some or all of these behaviors in your loved one: difficulty sleeping, disorientation, increased anxiety and agitation. Some patients have hallucinations. Pacing has been witnessed among mobile patients.
Sundowners is difficult to deal with. There are ways, however, to help your loved one get a better night’s sleep and experience less severity of symptoms. You can find articles about sundowning on the Internet, and the Alzheimer’s Association has published excellent tips for caregivers regarding sundowner’s syndrome.
When we looked at the suggestions as a whole, we found a similar theme: Reduce all stimulation and activity in the evening hours as much as possible. For instance, try scheduling appointments, trips and bathing in the morning or early afternoon. Offer the largest meal at lunchtime and keep the evening meal lighter. Avoid TV or loud music in the evenings. There are other suggestions, and we encourage you to visit the Alzheimer’s Association website for the full list.
Your loved one will experience the best results when every caregiver understands the plan and follows accordingly. This comes down to education and communication of information between caregivers for the consistent care of your loved one in every aspect of his or her care, not only sundowning.
Brite Trace has developed a way for different family and friend caregivers to quickly and easily capture and communicate information about the status of care of your loved one. We are so excited to announce that there is a new, free app to help you with communication between your home helpers and your family about the care of your loved one. The Brite Trace Caregiving App will give you access to the tools you need to provide your loved one with consistent care. Vital and helpful information regarding your loved one’s moods, schedule and more will be a finger tap away and can be stored in the app, which means that information can be accessed by your family and other helpers. This app will help you save time, save money, and feel better about the quality of care your loved one receives.
We are looking forward to helping you help your loved one with the Brite Trace Caregiving App coming soon!
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