Evening Sun downing - getting better experiment

[Eternity]

Just wanted to share - if it helps anyone. It seems to work for us

My mum would start sun-downing leading to crying, getting really bad, wanting to go home. It could last for 2-4 hours and it would be so hard to calm her down or distract her with anything. I would then get wound up by the end of it - wanting to just scream.

For the past 8 weeks I've not turned the TV on in the evening (not in the day either). Just have the radio playing light background music. Do some crafts or going through old photos or have a single family member visit in the evenings. The result is No sun-downing. If she says occasionally she wants to go home, I just say maybe later and that is fine she just accepts it.

Stupidly a couple of weeks ago I put on her favourite gardening programme in the evening - 15 minutes into it she started sundowning badly

Last night I was so tired I just wanted to veg-out in front of the TV. So I put on the Great British Bake off (used to be one of mum's favourite progs) on the iplayer TV - again 20 minutes into it she started crying, getting anxious, again wanting to go home, lasted forever - couldn't be distracted.

So, I've learnt - I'm never going to put the TV on again. No more sitting and relaxing in the evening for me. But at least my mum will not start to sun-down and I won't have to struggle to distract her from it as it won't happen in the first place.

It's not scientific - but it seems to work. I would never have thought harmless TV (we had cut out the news/drama etc ages ago) would be such a trigger for it.

If anyone else tries it - I'd be interested to hear how things go

 

[loveahug]

hmmm, as flickering is known to bring on migraines if you are susceptible, I wonder if it's something similar for those with dementia? Not a migraine as such but a trigger for the brain to 'short circuit'? Either that or it's her space being 'invaded' by the tv programmes. Either way it will be very interesting to see how this progresses, but what a shame you will be limited to TV on-line.

I do hope your mum continues to enjoy her more peaceful times and it helps you to stay more relaxed.

Hugs x

 

[Sue J]

Thanks for sharing this Eternity. I spend far too much time with the TV on and not always watching, I never did this before I had symptoms, I hardly ever watched TV. Now sometimes I find I seem to settle more if I have subtitles on to read and no sound. I did used to go to the cinema a lot & watched a lot of subtitled films before so not usre if this is a reason or if it is the sound that bothers me. I will try my own experiment.

Glad it is working for your Mum.

 

[ASH74]

Not thought about this in terms of dementia but my son was a BAD sleeper and our paediatrician at the time was researching the effects of different light (lux) on the brain, sleep and melatonin levels...it was really interesting stuff....I can only find this link.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/05/health/05light.html?_r=3&pagewanted=all&


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[halojones]

interesting

Just wanted to share - if it helps anyone. It seems to work for us

My mum would start sun-downing leading to crying, getting really bad, wanting to go home. It could last for 2-4 hours and it would be so hard to calm her down or distract her with anything. I would then get wound up by the end of it - wanting to just scream.

For the past 8 weeks I've not turned the TV on in the evening (not in the day either). Just have the radio playing light background music. Do some crafts or going through old photos or have a single family member visit in the evenings. The result is No sun-downing. If she says occasionally she wants to go home, I just say maybe later and that is fine she just accepts it.

Stupidly a couple of weeks ago I put on her favourite gardening programme in the evening - 15 minutes into it she started sundowning badly

Last night I was so tired I just wanted to veg-out in front of the TV. So I put on the Great British Bake off (used to be one of mum's favourite progs) on the iplayer TV - again 20 minutes into it she started crying, getting anxious, again wanting to go home, lasted forever - couldn't be distracted.

So, I've learnt - I'm never going to put the TV on again. No more sitting and relaxing in the evening for me. But at least my mum will not start to sun-down and I won't have to struggle to distract her from it as it won't happen in the first place.

It's not scientific - but it seems to work. I would never have thought harmless TV (we had cut out the news/drama etc ages ago) would be such a trigger for it.

If anyone else tries it - I'd be interested to hear how things go

Thank you for sharing your experience with the t.v. and sundowning.So far I don't get sundowning with my mum, but it is always a possibility(which I dread) and mum does watch a lot of t.v.I always switch it off after dinner though and we go to my room and I play music,do some ironing and chit chat,and mum likes looking out of the balcony window . also we have good quality herbal teas ,which I can tell definetly help my mums moods and also help me! Maybe the t.v. is too much stimulation when the mind is trying to adjust to the changes of the day
Also,I am carefully what mum watches,she is really uncomfortable with emotional programmes

 

[Fhvn]

Thanks for this, willing to give it a try.


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[Tin]

Mums sundowning now tends to happen in the afternoon and peaks at 6pm, then she is very quiet and looks shattered. Sundowning for her consists of a few things, her need to light and put out cigarettes, phone my brother, security at the front door, money and her dog. If all calm in afternoon then I know the evening will be very difficult and I have to keep everything calm and quiet, sometimes I pretend to be asleep! I hate the evening sundowning because it can sometimes go on until early hours of morning and no medication will help. It has got easier over the months or maybe I have just learnt to adapt to it. There is one trigger though and this is the dog lead, if I hide this from her I know that when sundowning starts she will not try to leave the house. But when I give her the lead it starts and guess what she has just found it!

 

[Blossom1]

Getting a diagnosis at ninety years old

OK - mum is 90 and to my mind has dementure. All the symptoms as described by Dementure societies etc. Confused, extremely forgetful but with much rational time as well. mum cannot manage without care - I have it going in three times a day and I go twice a day. Can't make sense of certain things and struggles to comprehend then in the same moment perfectly ok?!? She has certainly deteriorated again this week - she seems to plateau and then go downhill a bit more and the plateau again. She often forgets to drink which makes her de-hydrated and all that goes with that.

I do all her washing cleaning banking cooking etc etc. Mum cannot manage her own meds. I hide them so only I and the careers know where they are. Mum is looked after very well and loved. The Gp sees her in and amongst and so do District Nurses so they are aware of the situation but she has never formally been diagnosed with dementure. Should I push for a diagnosis or leave things as they are? Is there any medication at 90 and would the upheaval only make things worse. She has a heart condition and tires very very easily - sits all day.