Sundowning symptoms of dementia are challenging to manage. People with dementia might get more agitated, confused, and anxious later in the day. They may have disrupted sleep schedules or become restless at night. These sundowning symptoms can be disruptive and negatively affect your loved one’s quality of life. This behavior tends to happen in the late afternoon or evening. Their body clock may even be affected by these changes. Read on to learn more about the tips to reduce dementia sundowning symptoms.
Track Behavior and Patterns
If you want to reduce sundowning symptoms, you need to learn about older adults’ triggers. These are things that are likely to cause them to become agitated. Make use of a notebook to track behavior and activities. Take note of their daily routine and the symptoms that appear. Pay attention to the hours during the later half of the day, before the sundowning symptoms start. After a while, you will be able to learn the triggers for their behavior which can help you to avoid or minimize them.
Make Sure Basic Needs Are Met
Make sure that their basic needs are met to reduce the severity of symptoms. Sundowning is more likely to occur when someone is:
- Mentally and physically tired
- In pain or discomfort
- In need of the toilet
- Bored
- Hungry or thirsty
- Depressed
- Too hot or cold
- Having trouble sleeping
Establish a Daily Routine
Keeping to a regular daily routine will help to reduce stress. It increases the feeling of security and also helps to improve sleep. This will reduce sundowning symptoms. You have to set regular times for waking up, taking meals, and going to sleep. Schedule activities such as outings, appointments, visitors, and bath time in the earlier part of the day when they feel their best.
Create a Relaxing Environment
Making your loved one’s environment calm and soothing during the later part of the day will help you greatly in reducing agitation and anxiety. Try playing relaxing music at a soft volume or make use of aromatherapy to lightly scent the room with a soothing lavender scent.
Why Choose Aston Gardens At Pelican Pointe?
At Aston Gardens At Pelican Pointe, we have created a lovely senior living community in Venice, Florida just for you. Here, you will have three different senior living options to choose from: Independent Living, Senior Assisted Living, and SHINE® Memory Care. You can pick the one that is the most suitable for you depending on your needs. You will be able to enjoy all of our excellent facilities and services. Our professional team has years of experience in caring for our residents. On top of it all, we provide you with plenty of activities and events to keep you active and engaged.
After reading about the tips to reduce dementia sundowning symptoms, you might think that it is good for your loved one to stay with us where we provide memory care for older adults with dementia. Feel free to contact us to find out more!
