What Strategies Can Help You and Your Loved One Manage Sundowning?

One of the more disconcerting aspects of dementia for your loved one can be the daily possibility of having a bad sundowning episode. Try some of these strategies to make bad episodes a little less common. Set up a Schedule and Stick to It Having a solid schedule can do a lot more for your senior than you or she might think at first. What the schedule does is provide a framework for what happens and when it happens. Your elderly parent doesn't have to do the exact same things every day, but the schedule does need to be consistent. Plan out Foods and Drinks What your aging parent eats and drinks influences quite a bit of her health, of course, but it can also influence her ability to cope with sundowning. If your loved one is sensitive to too much sugar or caffeine, having it earlier in the day can make it less of a factor later in the day when sundowning is more likely to occur. Track Triggers Regularly Keeping a notebook handy during the late afternoon and early evening can allow you to jot down potential triggers that make sundowning worse or even better. Making even just a quick note about how they handled each afternoon can help you to spot patterns and trends that allow you to make this time of day easier for them. Turn on Lights Before it Gets Dark For some seniors, lighting makes a big difference when it comes to sundowning. If that's a problem, get ahead of the situation by turning lights on in the house before it actually starts to get dark. You can even start using a timer to go ahead and turn the lights on for you. Comfort Is Key The more comfortable your loved one is, the easier it can be for her to get through a difficult sundowning episode. Let her know that you're there for her, that you love her, and that she's safe there at home. Knowing that she can rely on her schedule and on you is important for your elderly loved one. Consider hiring home care providers to help you maintain the schedule as closely as possible. If you or an aging loved one are considering homecare in Juno Beach, FL, contact the caring staff at BrightStar Care of Jupiter. Call today (561) 741-1200. About the Author – Jack Nicol, Owner BrightStar is a private duty Home Care Agency that provides unskilled and skilled care for people needing assistance in their home or a facility. We opened our agency in Jupiter, FL 6 years ago. Our service area is Northern Palm Beach & Martin Counties. BrightStar is a Home Care Agency not a Nurse Registry. I have always been passionate about helping people. My entire adult life I have focused on giving back to the community. Five years ago when I decided I was not ready for retirement, I founded BrightStar and started a new career. Caring for people in need has proven to be very rewarding and proof that I made the right decision for my new career. BrightStar Home Care is a Joint Commission Accredited Private Duty Home Care Agency. Our goal is to offer superior and passionate caregiving of skilled and unskilled services. We service those in need including special needs children/adults and the elderly throughout our community whether in their home or a facility. Our Joint Commission Accreditation holds our agency to a higher professional standard.