Elder Care and Daylight Savings Time

Daylight Savings Time affects everyone, but if you are caring for an elder who has Sundowner’s Syndrome due to Dementia, it can be more difficult to adjust to the time change. Everyone’s Circadian Rythyms are affected when we turn the clocks back or forward. When individuals have Dementia their brains are already tired after working hard all day to work through the cognitive difficulties they experience. In the afternoons, the brain is tired and overworked. As a result, Daylight Savings Time and Sundowner’s Syndrome often cause changes in mood, anxiety, and wandering, all in the late afternoon and early evening. Here are some tips to help lessen these symptoms; keep naps to one or two times a day and less than 20 minutes, keep as many lights on as possible, and try to keep a routine every day.