Tips on Managing Sundowning Syndrome

Mar 10
2 min read

Tips on helping Sundowning Syndrome | Home Care Provider

Sundowning Syndrome is also known as “late day confusion” and is a common side effect of having Dementia. Sometimes a person may become more agitated, aggressive or confused at a specific time in the day. This is often referred to as ‘sundowning’. People are more likely to experience sundowning if they have in the later stages of dementia, this is more commonly found in found in Vascular, Front temporal and Lewy-body Dementia.

Our specially trained live-in carers are well-versed in providing in home dementia care to a number of our clients. We spoke to our private carers to get their tips on how to help others manage Sundowning Syndrome;

Exercise

Too much inactivity during the day can make it harder for your loved one to fall asleep at bedtime. To ensure a restful night's sleep, a relative, friend or live-in carer can engage them in activities throughout the day. It may also be worth coming up with an activity plan for the week. This might help improve and reduce their sundowning symptoms.

Routine

Establishing a consistent routine every day ensures your loved one, under the care of a relative, friend or live-in carer, feels calmer and more secure. Try to avoid making changes to routines as this can cause disruption. If you need to make changes, try to adjust their routine gradually and as little as possible, making it as seamless as possible.

Diet

Having a regular intake of nutritious meals and plenty to drink can help reduce the effects of sundowning. Try to avoid caffeine or alcohol especially in the evenings as this can increase their agitation and may keep them up at night.

Minimize Stress

Keep your loved one calm during the evening. Talk to them in a soothing voice or play them soft music to create a quiet and calm environment. Try to avoid vigorous activities, loud noises and things that you know upsets them.

How We Can Help

At Access Care we understand that looking after a loved one with Sundowning syndrome can be exhausting, not just for your loved one but for you too. This is where we can help take some of that pressure off. We have dementia trained live-in carers who are used to dealing with these situations and are able to provide in home dementia care. Providing that much needed one-to-one support.