Dementia typically manifests through memory loss, confusion, and difficulties with speech. These changes in a person's behavior become more pronounced over time.
However, there are also specific symptoms that manifest in the evening. Doctors from the charity organization Dementia UK listed the so-called "sundowning signs" of the disease, reports the British Express.
What to pay attention to:
increased agitation and anxiety;
a person feels that they are not in the place they should be (for example, claiming it is time to pick up the children from school, even though they have long since grown up);
a person nervously moves around the room, getting irritated over anything, their speech may escalate to shouting;
such a patient often does not recognize who is nearby.
The reasons for such behavior can be varied. Firstly, accumulated fatigue from the day can exacerbate symptoms, warn specialists from Dementia UK. Additionally, such behavior can be triggered by hunger, thirst, physical pain, and even the irritating light from street lamps outside the window.
What to do?
If you notice "sundowning symptoms" of dementia in a loved one, first try to distract them with something else. You can, for example, take them to another room, go for a walk together, or discuss what is bothering them, maintaining a respectful and calm tone. Even simply holding hands and quietly being present can provide support.
Partially reducing the risk of such symptoms can be achieved through evening rituals. Come up with an activity that distracts the person's thoughts and helps them focus on something else. To avoid anxiety from outside light, it is better to hang thick curtains in the bedroom and draw them before the streetlights turn on.
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