Dementia and Sundowning: Tips to Help You Manage Sundowning

Welcome to the place where I share dementia tips, strategies, and information for family members caring for a loved one with any type of dementia (such as Alzheimer's disease, Lewy Body dementia, vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia, etc.)

Today’s video answers a question submitted by a fellow Careblazer, Rhonda. Rhonda asked if I could do a video about sundowning in dementia and I was happy to do so! I hope that you will find this video helpful. If you deal with sundowning with your loved one, leave a comment below to let us know how you handle the symptoms.
As always, leave your questions below in the comments or on my FB page and I’ll answer them in a future video.
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In case you haven’t met me, my name is Natali Edmonds and I am a board certified geropsychologist. That means that I am a clinical psychologist who specializes in working with older adults. One day, while hiking a trail, I came up with the idea for Careblazers and I decided to see if posting videos online could provide help to the many other Careblazers in the world who don’t get to have help come directly to them in their homes. I hope that this work helps you in some way on your caregiving journey.
#careblazer #dementia #dementiacare

[krisarbuckle]

My husband is in the beginning stages of vascular dementia, and he is one stubborn man even now. He wanders all night long, watches TV all day, and I cannot imagine how this is going to progress…..But I know I am in for a rough rocky road ahead. God help me to get through this!

[durand]

Caring for someone 24/7 is unimaginable. You information may be well meaning but until you live with a person with dementia one could never understand the patience, frustration and deprivation of sleep can do to the caregiver.
I was a nurse for 44years and cared for many patients with dementia. It is a whole different world caring for someone ever day and night.

[christinev]

My Gramp had sundowners. One day he told me he knew what he was saying and doing was wrong but he had no control over it, and things seemed so real to him even though he knew they weren't. That was the only time I ever saw my Gramp cry. He was 94. I know he's in heaven, but I still miss him.

[pianoredfa]

My Nana would often sundown in the evening. Once i asked her where she was going, she said she was going to get the hogs (she thought she was a young girl on a farm in the south). another evening she was going to get my Uncle Herman who had been dead for 40 years. I would always go along with whatever, and help her find the Hogs, Uncle Herman, or whatever she needed. After a few minutes of searching I would say I think we should go to bed and try again in the morning.I never knew there was a term for this, thank you for teaching us.

[gregorybarr]

Dr.Natali, I was surprised to hear that sundowning happens more with dementia sufferers in their own home than in a nursing home facility. I work in a long term care home and experience daily the sundowning patterns in the people to whom we provide care. I was thinking that the more familiar environment (ie :their own home) would produce less sundowning.
One woman will tell me that she needs to go to visit her mother and will ask me to show her the door to get outside. I went on Google Maps and took screen shots(with my iphone) of the city street views where she told me that she lived when she was a child. The office enlarged and laminated the pictures. When she asks to go home now, I take out the pictures and we talk about the place where she grew up. She tells me stories about her mother and the children who used to play games in the neighbourhood. Usually her emotional tank gets replenished and she no longer asks to leave.
I love your videos and have shared them with some co-workers.

[alisonmabin]

In my experience, especially with women, sundown ing happens around 4pm to 6pm. They usually just want to go home, no matter that you tell them they are home. This is the time the children would have come home from school and meals are prepared. It’s the busiest time for a woman and the anticipation of family arriving. They have a gap and feel the emptiness that’s not been filled. I take my client to the kitchen and busy them with dinner prep. Peeling veg and discussing menus. Keep them busy. Or take them for a walk.

[Cris-nlft]

My sister is 67! She’s got Dementia and has clear signs of sundowning! It’s so stressful. It starts around 5 pm and continues increasing. At bed time she gets even worse. It’s a nightmare. She starts acting in a crazy way. I cannot deal with this situation any longer. It’s driving me crazy. Thanks for your piece of advice.

[bernadettesandoval]

When my mom (87) starts getting agitated after she is in bed for the night (930-10pm) I play a youtube of the rosary and we pray together. She will doze off soundly after 3/4 decades.

[Lucailey]

I work in a nursing home. I am an activities person I find that sun downing does not actually start happening when the sun goes down. I find it starting to happen just after they finish lunch. I am not an expert in the feild but, I really appreciate your information and from what I know, you are spot on! i think it is also important to note how necessary it can be to offer huggs and hold hands - sort of the way you would do for a child but obiously you wouldn't phrase things like you would for a baby. You can kind of stroke their hand and say "hey, it's okay it's alright "and you just reassure them that whatever scared them is all done now and that you will be with them. a little reassurance goes a long long way. People get afraid to touch the elderly because they may not loo cute or something abou the ageing process scares all of it. But, with Dementia it is like reverse againg. They do get to a point where it is like taking care of a child. Most people I know would never devoid a 6 year old of a hug after he or she got afraid. It is the same with our elerly. They really need our touch and we may have to get over the fact that yeah, they don't look cute like a child or a baby but they still need that same constant reminder that they arn't alone.

[coraljames]

You are a blessing to those of us caring for loved ones with dementia.

[martinpercifield]

Thank you for your work and the fact that you share. My wife recently passed away Dec 11th from Vascular Dementia. It was a very rough several years, especially when I didn't know what was going on. Your teachings helped a lot. Dementia is a wicked indiscriminate disease. The last few months were very difficult dealing with the healthcare system.
I was able to bring her home (AMA) on Hospice for a couple days before she was taken to inpatient Hospice, where she passed peacefully and is no longer suffering.
God bless you and my prayers for others who are living this hell.

[rebeccabeardslee]

Well, by the time my mom began the sundowning symptoms, she was pretty deaf and blind so a lot of these tips probably wouldn't have helped. It was devastating in that I couldnt sleep either. I was able to keep her at home until the end, but I only had nursing help six hours in the daytime. I kept a baby monitor in my room so I could keep tabs on her. Or I even tried sleeping in her king sized bed with her. However, none of these things really helped manage her situation. My heart goes out to anyone who is dealing with this!

[lindajacobs]

Thank you for your helpful tips! My husband was diagnosed with dementia 3 years ago! I am having a hard time. I find myself crying a lot. I have lost interest in the things I used to enjoy doing! He does have sun downing symptoms and it’s not easy to deal with along with all the extra caring of him. I feel like I have lost myself taking care of him!

[emmachase]

re: #3. Thank you for reminding people about Self-Care. A burnt out and distressed caregiver is not helpful for a person with dementia.

[michelleallen]

Thank you for your fantastic videos! I'm a nursing assistant in a high care facility, I know my residents very well but as some pass away and we have new admissions, it's really helpful to keep a clean slate, fresh perspective and remember that every person is different, complex, beautiful and deserving of the utmost quality in care.

[HiPlainsThrifter]

Sometimes leaving the room briefly (if safe to do) can reset the situation. My moms aid suggested it one day and “poof” my mother was a different person who greeted me warmly not 10 minutes after screaming horrible things…

[mrw]

I work on a dementia floor in a care home, these videos are so important

[alexandreaturcot]

I am glad I took the time to watch this today. We had a hard time last night (again) with my mother-in-law with Parkinsons Dementia. It's sad, we had a great, calm, easy day and every night when we get our 4 children to bed, and we are EXHAUSTED, she starts up. She accuses us of leaving her alone all day in "isolation"! We spend every extra minute with her and she is Never Alone! It is so hard. If it isn't that she finds all kinds of off the wall things to complain about, accuse us of and complain of being tired and wanting to go to bed. We try to redirect or distract her but it doesn't last long. When we try to take her to bed she says she isn't tired and doesn't want to. Even though she begs us to let her go to bed from like 7 p.m. til it is time for bed. My husband and I are exhausted and running ourselves down.

[lydiafife]

A friend of ours gave her Mum some magnesium in the late afternoon
It’s a natural anti-anxiety substance and worked really well to help with sundowning

[aquaqt]

A healthy dose of Vitamin B1 will practically reverse sundowning. Most Alzeimher sufferes are deficient which causes much of the sun downing. Of course do your own research but as for me and MY parents, that and MCT coconut oil, is working wonders.
Good luck everyone and dont give up. The information for both remedies I spoke of, is right here in youtube. May YOUR journey be even better than ours.

LOVE.