Three dementia symptoms that can appear when the clocks go back

If a loved 1 displays immoderate of these signs you should question aesculapian help.

Experts person warned that 3 lesser-known signs of dementia could look aft the clocks spell back. With the extremity of British Summer Time adjacent weekend, radical person been urged to enactment alert to imaginable symptoms of the progressive disease.

Dementia is simply a syndrome, oregon radical of associated symptoms, linked to the ongoing diminution of the brain. Most communal successful radical implicit the property of 65, it tin beryllium hard to spot successful its aboriginal stages arsenic immoderate of the signs could beryllium confused for mean habits arsenic we get older.

Some of the astir good known signs of dementia see representation loss, trouble concentrating and struggling to travel a speech oregon find the close word. But foundation Dementia UK told radical to enactment alert to immoderate much circumstantial symptoms that mightiness hap successful the days that travel the clocks changing connected October 27.

“Sundowning” is the sanction utilized for changes successful behaviour which hap successful the evening oregon astir dusk, erstwhile immoderate radical surviving with dementia tin acquisition an accrued consciousness of agitation oregon anxiety. This tin go much evident aft the clocks alteration owed to the information it gets darker earlier.

Experts astatine Dementia UK said: “Sundowning has respective causes. As the time goes on, the idiosyncratic with dementia becomes much tired, and this tin pb to their dementia symptoms worsening.

“Hunger, thirst and carnal symptom tin besides play a part. As acheronian falls and radical settee successful for an evening, these changes tin marque idiosyncratic with dementia acrophobic that they are successful the incorrect spot oregon person forgotten to bash thing important during the day.”

How to spot sundowning

They shared 3 tell-tale signs of sundowning successful radical with dementia:

• Sundowning often tin marque radical surviving with dementia consciousness powerfully that they are successful the incorrect place
• They mightiness accidental they request to spell home, adjacent if they are astatine home, oregon that they request to prime the children up from schoolhouse adjacent if their children are present adults
• Other symptoms tin see shouting, arguing, pacing oregon becoming confused astir who radical are and what’s happening astir them.

How to negociate sundowning

They issued the pursuing proposal to assistance the idiosyncratic experiencing sundowning:

• Use distraction techniques: spell into a antithetic room, marque the idiosyncratic a drink, person a snack, crook immoderate euphony connected oregon instrumentality them retired for a walk
• Ask the idiosyncratic what the substance is. Listen cautiously to their effect and if possible, spot if you tin woody with the crushed for their distress
• Talk successful a slow, soothing way
• Speak successful abbreviated sentences and springiness elemental instructions to effort to debar confusion
• Hold the person’s manus oregon beryllium adjacent to them and changeable their arm.

There are besides ways to assistance trim the chances of sundowning occurring successful the archetypal place. These include:

• Introduce an evening regular with activities the idiosyncratic enjoys and effort to support to tv and vigor stations acceptable to thing calming and quiet
• Follow a daytime regular with activities the idiosyncratic enjoys
• Try to bounds their intake of caffeinated and alcoholic drinks – effort offering them caffeine and alcohol-free alternatives
• Try to bounds daytime naps to promote them to slumber good astatine night
• Close the curtains and crook the lights connected earlier dusk to easiness the modulation into night-time
• Cover windows, mirrors and solid doors with a expanse oregon curtain – reflections tin beryllium confusing for radical with Dementia UK
• Avoid ample meals successful the evening arsenic this tin disrupt slumber patterns.

If you request proposal oregon enactment connected surviving with dementia you tin interaction Dementia UK’s Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline connected 0800 888 6678 oregon email [email protected] . And if you oregon a loved 1 experienced symptoms of dementia you should talk to a GP.