My Mum and Dad are definitely sundowning since they moved to residential care in July. They can be quite calm and settled....and almost rational...for much of the day but most evenings they are really very confused and often very agitated. I get numerous phone calls each evening generally announcing they are 'going home' in the morning or telling me they are in the pub or on a Cruise Ship. Last night my Dad believed he worked at the CH and was worried he was going to get sacked ?!? Speaking to them for a few minutes generally calms them down but I am starting to dread the phone ringing in the evening. I've tried ignoring it but they just ring constantly until I answer.
Last night one of their old neighbours called me to 'let me know' that she has also started receiving calls in the evening from them. She was being very kind about it but was basically asking me to get them to stop. So today I think I'm going to have to take their address book / phone numbers away from them so they don't have her number. I daren't take the phone away or my numbers for fear of them really kicking off. And I don't want to upset them further.
So my question is - does Sundowning stop? Is it just because they are settling in to the CH (been their almost 8 weeks now) or can I expect it to continue as their dementia deteriorates? (Both have AZ - at about the same stage). I have asked the CH about it and they say it is very common and that actually Mum and Dad aren't that bad compared to some of their other residents. They haven't really suggested anything to help the situation ...but then again I'm not sure anything can.
Last night one of their old neighbours called me to 'let me know' that she has also started receiving calls in the evening from them. She was being very kind about it but was basically asking me to get them to stop. So today I think I'm going to have to take their address book / phone numbers away from them so they don't have her number. I daren't take the phone away or my numbers for fear of them really kicking off. And I don't want to upset them further.
So my question is - does Sundowning stop? Is it just because they are settling in to the CH (been their almost 8 weeks now) or can I expect it to continue as their dementia deteriorates? (Both have AZ - at about the same stage). I have asked the CH about it and they say it is very common and that actually Mum and Dad aren't that bad compared to some of their other residents. They haven't really suggested anything to help the situation ...but then again I'm not sure anything can.