Alzheimers, Dementia and Sundowners

I am writing this about my father who has been diagnosed with Sundowners. It began with him being "scared" in the middle of the night. I would get phone calls from him at 3 AM and he would need to talk. He didn't seem to be aware of care that I had to get up for work the next morning. This in itself was disturbing and disarming. My dad was always a man who put work high on the list of priorities. This set off red flags for our family.

When we began noticing that our father was restless, confused and suspicious at times, anxious, ignoring our advice and being moody and demanding at times - even bordering on aggressive, we realized we were facing something very different. We have been told that he may even begin to yell, pace and hear or see things that are not present.

We did our research and learned that Sundowning is not a disease but is a cluster of symptoms that happen at certain points of the day - mostly when the sun goes down, hence the name.

• Keep a calm environment - even television playing in the background can be a trigger.
• Schedule outings and appointments in the morning.
• Avoid stimulants such as alcohol, nicotine and sugary treats.
• Block outside light and turn on several lamps/lights.
• Participate in calm activities as the day passes, most especially evenings.
• Don't argue - just agree with the individual - they won't recall what you say anyway!
• Don't allow yourself to get angry - there are physiological and neurological changes in the brain that they cannot control

• Ask what they need
• Remind them what time it is
• Reassure them that everything is okay
• Allow them to pace
• Keep a close eye on them as they pace
• Keep them safe with nightlights, locks on doors and windows, gates across stairways

Your doctor may prescribe some medication to help your loved one sleep. No one medication is right for every patient. We all react to drugs differently. There are also some natural remedies that you may wish to try as alternatives to prescribed drugs. Melanin is sometimes helpful for some but remember never to give more than 6 mg to the elderly. Please consult with your physician on any over the counter drugs you may wish to try. Also, honey mixed with warm water and then blended with orange juice may help to calm your loved one in the evening. I have not tried it but hear that Ovaltine is also helpful.

It may be difficult to get your loved one to exercise but if you can get them up and moving early in the day to help to tire them out, this can be helpful to get them to sleep better at night. We try to take dad for lunch and for rides and get him involved in things during the early parts of the day. It kind of forces him to walk and to get in and out of the car.

Our father is not much for exercising on his own but he does have a great deal of respect for his doctors. We had his doctor prescribe physical therapy and that was helpful for us. When the physical therapy support runs out, we are going to take him to a club with a trainer that will be his "physical therapy." Sometimes you just have to help your loved one out in ways that are a slight bit creative.

We are just beginning this journey. We all need support. We are fortunate that there are four of us who will be watching out for our father. We will be looking online to seek further support. We will be talking to many medical professionals. We want to offer our support to others who are also going through this and we will gladly accept the support of others as well. Please write to us and let us know what your experiences are and have been. We are praying for our father, for others who are inflicted and certainly the families and caretakers of those dealing with such a challenging infliction!