References and Resources
DISCLAIMER: This site is NOT a professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment resource. Use it at your own risk. If you have symptoms of sundowner please consult your doctors first.
Sundowner’s Syndrome
Sundowner’s Syndrome is the name given to an ailment that causes symptoms of confusion after “sundown.” These symptoms appear in people who suffer from Alzheimer’s Disease or other forms of dementia. Not all patients who suffer from dementia or Alzheimer’s exhibit Sundowner’s symptoms, however. Conversely, some people exhibit symptoms of dementia all day which grow worse in the late afternoon and evening, while others may exhibit no symptoms at all until the sun goes down.
Sundowner’s Syndrome largely remains a mystery to medical science, although there are several theories about why these symptoms begin at night. More and more studies are being conducted to try to determine the exact cause.
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In the meantime, some doctors believe it’s an accumulation of all of the sensory stimulation from the day which begins to overwhelm and cause stress. Some speculate that Sundowner’s Syndrome is caused by hormonal imbalances that occur at night. Still others believe that the onset of symptoms at night is due to simple fatigue, while some believe it has to do with the anxiety caused by the inability to see as well in the dark.
The theory that the symptoms have something to do with darkness has been supported by studies where the symptoms subside within an hour of the return of daylight. There is some evidence that nursing home patients show an increase in Sundowner’s symptoms during winter, which may suggest a correlation with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD is believed to cause depression in the winter due to the shorter periods of sunlight, and it affects people of all ages.
Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia
There are actually at least 70 different conditions that cause similar symptoms of confusion and loss of mental capacity, usually in the elderly. Alzheimer’s Disease is only one form of dementia. All types of dementia generally begin as a subtle loss of memory, which may barely be noticeable since everyone struggles somewhat with memory. However, when the symptoms worsen gradually over time, dementia is usually the culprit. While it’s normal to forget where you put your house keys, for example, it isn’t normal to forget your street address, at least not for more than a few seconds.
Dementia can affect a person’s ability to logically judge circumstances, which means they’re no longer able to safely care for themselves. Studies have shown that people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease generally live from one to 20 years after diagnosis, with the average person living just eight years with the disease. It is one of the leading causes of death among the elderly. It’s estimated that as many as four million Americans have Alzheimer’s Disease, and this doesn’t include the other forms of dementia.
Just as the causes of Sundowner’s Syndrome are largely a mystery, the same is true for Alzheimer’s and dementia. The symptoms are believed to be a result of neurons in the brain that stop working, and autopsies on people with Alzheimer’s show abnormal brain cells. Some forms of dementia are believed to be genetic, while others appear to have no genetic link whatsoever.
Strokes, Parkinson’s Disease, and Huntington’s Disease put a person more at risk for dementia. In advanced forms of Parkinson’s Disease, dementia is almost inevitable and is called “Parkinson’s-related dementia.”
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Thanks for the advise. I am going to see her dr. in 2 wks and see if he is still intertaining te idea of more testing. She had a very bad kidney infection that ravaged her whol body laast year 2 times and this is when she started acting like this and along withe the past illness she had fallen down about 10 to 15 times in the past 1 1/2 years. each time she manages to hit her head and she is way out there when this happens. Within the last 9 mo. each time she falls it makes it more and more difficult for her to get around and can’t stand up straight.
My Mother also is possibly experiencing Sundowner’s, along with other complications. About 10 days ago she had erratic behavior, which included not believing she lived in the assisted living she had been in for 20 months, threatening an aide, and trying to walk out. After I took her to the hospital, it was determined that she had a urinary tract infection which was suspected to be the culprit for the sudden-onset erratic behavior. After antibiotics she still has confusion, but no real erratic behavior. Now the confusion is considered to be related to Sundowner’s. After a trip to the doctor soon, maybe we will know for sure. It certainly does appear that the UTI or a kidney infection can cause irregularities in behavior. Also, a friend of mine had stroke-like behavior with a UTI.
Dear Kathy,
I don’t know your whole story but have worked with the elderly for years and have seen this falling syndrome many times. There could be mechanical inner ear issues, medication reactions, poor nutrition/ dehydration, joint issues and possibly a neurological disorder. Have you considered a short term stay in a nursing or rehab facility? If the falls do not stop, it will be very difficult to diagnose the underlying cause and could actually make the dementia worse. There is also the issue of risking further disability with a fracture, concussion, blood clot. The loss of self confidence and fear caused by these repeated falls additionally muddies the waters and makes the treatment more complicated. Good Luck with this situation,
All the best,
Meg
As it turns out, my mother-in-law has a heart condition which had gone undiagnosed until her first fall. As long as she continues the medication she does well but if the heart meds are neglected she ends up in the hospital and rehab again where discussions continue within the family and physicians in regard to whether or not she needs the heart meds. Sounds like they’re playing with mother’s life, doesn’t it. She has terminal cancer now and their discussions are neverending. Some think the heart meds should be stopped in order to treat the cancer while others think the cancer treatment should be top priority. Unfortunately, she waited too long. In her state of dimentia she never knew she was dying and now she hasn’t got much time remaining. PS The falls will not necessarily stop inside the nursing home. They try but even standing right beside them, they still fall.
Just wanted to tell those of you who have written encouraging words to me from time to time–my 95 year-old mother-in-law joined the angels on Mother’s Day 2010. After living with us for ten years, in a nursing home since March 1, she developed accelerated swallowing problems., complicated by congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation. We had decided to bring her back home, but we wanted to be sure she did not have pneumonia, and she was to have x-rays the next a.m. My husband had given permission for hydrating IV’s, but before she had to endure the procedure, which we know would have scared her and caused her great pain in her dementia, she went quietly to sleep holding her son’s hand. When we could no longer care for her, the nursing home did. When she could bear no more and was sooooo tired…God took over her care, and opened his comforting arms.
So to all of you caregivers who are still hard at work, bless you. God knows what you do, even though your loved one may not. We are still numb, and not sure what to do with ourselves. To the website people, thank you for what you do for all of us.
Brenda, I am sorry to hear about your MIL. I am glad he was with her when it happened. Thanks for the last paragraph words. I think it’s all really important to remember that God is in charge, it’s not all up to us.
May God bless you and your family. Even though I lost my mother three years ago to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, it is still fresh in my memory. When they are sooo very tired, you pray that God will take them into his loving arms. The numbness will soon wear off and hopefully, you and your family will remember mostly the good times before the dementia. I will be praying for you and your family.
Just wondering how fast dementia can take someone? It was diagnosed last year and now my Mother keeps saying she’s leaving this house and going home. A couple of times I had to go outside to get her. Since then there is always someone here. It just seems like it’s progressing really fast. Is this possible? Then she’ll have a week or two of almost normalcy, then 3 or 4 days of absolute craziness. I don’t get it. I just need some advice or I don’t know what…thanks anyone for answering me. Frank.
Frank, it is definitely possible that dementia moves that fast. At lot of it can be medication related, that is what I am finding with my dad. Over the past few weeks he’s gone from nice clear sometimes confused gentleman, to aggressive threatening violence looking for a weapon, trashing his room convinced someone was going to kill him, back to nice and apologetic, and on and on. We just placed him in a residential care facility in April, but it’s looking like already his behavior will necessitate us moving him to skilled nursing. I would recommend that you ask the local area agency on aging or senior centers for some good referrals for geriatric specialty doctors who are dementia experts. I would also recommend that you have a clinical pharmacist do a review of her meds list to see if they think they could be causing some of this. Good luck to you!
My dad has been acting strange, no diagnosis, or anything.I have noticed things like he will get up ,go in the kitchen ,get a butter knife out, put it in the sink and go sit back down. Then he does it again a few minutes later.Also he’s up at the crack of dawn doing yard work?! I know he won’t let me go to the dr. with him what do I do ?
Amy, why won’t he let you go to the doc with him? I was going to suggest you take him to a geriatric specialist (how old is he?) to get some tests done. Your local alzheimers association would probably know some good ones to refer you to. Find out if they take medicare first. The Alz association could probably also give you a lot of good advice on how to work with him from now on. I am sure some of the others on here will have some good advice for you. Hopefully his will, power of attorney and advanced health care directive are done. If not, he should really do them before he gets too far gone. I suggest you read the 36 Hour Day (it’s on amazon). It will help you prepare if he is indeed heading towards a dementia. Good luck!
My mother is progressively getting worse with dementia/Alzheimers. she has fallen 3 times in the hospital ward & we think it may be from neglect. They said she had a seizure, but she has never had a seizure before. I am wondering if the Alzheimers has anything to do with her falls? Her doctor doesn’t explain what is going on, with her falling. we are ready for file a complaint with the state on elderly abuse & consult an attorney. My mother is confused & cannot tell us anything about her falls, & what the hospital is saying does not add up. I cannot bear the thought of her being abused, but is the something medically related to her falling?
Dear Rose,
My mother in law is having the same falling problems, no one can explain because they don’t know… Like others here at sundowners , falling is part of the problem, they loose ability to keep balance. 3 weeks ago, my mother in law could eat and drink without assistance, walk with a walker, tell you if she needed to potty, and walk with you to the potty. she could walk to the car and get in and out.. 2 weeks ago, she could walk with a walker, get in and out of the car with assistance, but would forget she was in a chair and mess in her pull ups, she started throwing up because she was not chewing her food, then she would forget to finish eating if you didnt tell her to eat each bite. 7 days ago, she could stand with the walker, sit in the wheel chair, stand at the car so you could help her get in the car to go to day care, she would eat 1/2 of her food, and began sleeping alot, the day care said she was more combative and needed her meds. on an emergency visit with neurologist, whom she has seen since diagnosis of alzheimers ( which often comes with seizures) he siad she was getting worse and it would come fast now.. she struck him 3 times in the office.. he is the sweetest man alive, and she wanted to take him out… then out side his office, she could not stand with walker to get back in car.. 2 days ago.. we got her up to go to day care, she could no longer control her legs, her brain, would not tell her legs to stand, and she can no longer follow directions of any kind, today… she is bed ridden, and has to be hand fed… helping your parents cross over will be the hardest thing you ever do.. at first there is shock that no one can fix her, then how to handle it without the frustration and anger stressing you out, it is what it is.. no one’s fault, how to help your love one to cross over.. treat them with respect, even if they are not giving it to you (they are sick , you are not) , keep them clean, give them what they want and don’t force anything you dont have to . dignity sometimes means dying without arguements.. the day car said she is always on her feet following someone.. my mother in law fell 3 times in one weekend, one time we were within 4 feet and she had a walker, but her balance was off, and we could not move fast enough, then she fell twice at the day care, they were scared we would be mad, NO, we understood it is part of alzheimers, it takes balance away from them. there is nothing we can do, love her, even if she doesnt know me, keep her the way i would want someone to keep me.. Let go and let her cross over, with love. we know we have done the best we can and are still doing, so when she gets to heaven and looks back and all things are clear, she will know we did our best.. and she was loved.. that is all you can do, keep them comfortable and give them respect, and know when to hand off if they require a team to take care of them. we are looking for respite in a nursing home, but hospice is coming in this week, and may help. Whatever you do for her, she will know you did with love.
I have just found out about sundown syndrome as my mother has it and at the moment we are having most of the systems that you have said , and it has helped to to read what you have written and a lot of things are falling into place thank you
My father in nursing home broke two bones in his neck, is in brace but keeps getting up by himself at night to go to restroom. Glad to understand this could be a “part” of why he tries to be more active at night. It also seems to affect his sleep; rolling in bed, etc. which worries me since he wears neck brace. Any medication they could give. No restraints but nurses do not always hear bed alarm that beeps when he attempts to leave bed.
jmixon, my dad is basically bedridden for most of the day, but at night he somehow can jump up and down from the bed to the floor. they turn their back for a second and he’s out of bed. just recently he fell and hit his head. he is ok, this time. i know of no meds, other than super heavy sedatives that keep them in bed, that help with this problem. i share your worries. restraints are awful but sometimes necessary. i know that some facilities are less able to use them than others, and that their ratings on medicare.gov go down the more they use them. very frustrating for everyone involved.
Please don’t jump to neglect. Although I assure you neglect happens, old people are quicker than one might think. Turn your head to get a wad of TP and they’re up off of the toilet and down of the floor as fast as that. It happens to the best of caregivers in the best of places and under the best of circumstances. You’ve said what the hospital is saying doesn’t add up. Okay, good starting point but remember your mother is confused and doesn’t know what happened so don’t try to compare stories. You might check BBB or other sites to find out if your hospital has a history of neglect but please don’t run someone through the wringer who hasn’t done anything wrong. Check your facts.
Meg and everyone, the problem about getting the story straight also works in the other direction, I found out. Thursday night my dad apparently attacked a caregiver. According to her, he was trying to kill her. She said she was covered in bumps and bruises but my dad’s friend saw 1 only when she showed them to her. They said he broke a window trying to escape and cut his hand and was chasing everyone around with a lampshade naked. Turns out he pushed out the window screen frame. Didn’t break the glass or even cut the screen. He had an abrasion on his arm, not a laceration that was bleeding all over the house. Obviously something happened, but we will never know exactly what. No reliable witnesses, including my dad. THEN to top it off, the caregiver was asking me to pay her medical bills and give her money for time she couldn’t work, when in actuality she was told she could see the doctor using the work comp coverage but she declined. She was also offered another position with the same company in a different house away from my dad, but she declined that too. She didn’t miss any work the 2 days my dad was there in that state of mind. She worked with him both days, no missed time. Boy was her boss pissed when my dad’s attorney called him. Then she got in trouble for trying to extort me behind his back. Nice, huh? Now that my dad has a documented violent episode, we can’t find a place to take him anywhere in California, and we have no idea where to place him. Aren’t we all having fun yet? :\
I feel so strange entering this site but I am having such issues with my mom that i feel others can help. my mom is in the advanced stages of als, my father whom is 90 still feels its his responsibility to stay with her, we take her out every day for 5 hours to give him relief and i know its not enough. its killing him. she has wanderd and most recently at night, trying to go home to her mom. she believes she is 35 although shes 88 she deprestly wants to go back to her childhood shen she was wit her mom, dad and her brothers. she doesnt remember having me as a daughter and only relates to her eariler life, im guessing when she was about 24. what does anyone suggest? I am planning on taking her on a “vacation” to my summer home togive my dad more relief maybe he can sleep. he is such a hard and loyal person i just want both of them to be happy
I am going thru the same problem with my Dad. Some days he thinks it’s 1970 and others it’s 1900, but so far it’s never been 2010. He has also fallen alot and it may or may not be the hospital. I recently ordered a book that really answers alot of questions. It’s called “The 36 hour day” It explains where the disease comes from, what to expect and some tips on how to handle the unexpected memory problems. According to this book some dementia/als patients can lose thier balance and fall or have very weak legs. My dad has fallen probably 10 to 12 times in the last 3 months. He has not hurt himself so much but he could and now we have him in a nursing care facility and they are taking real good care of him. I would suggest you get the book and educate yourself on whats next. It has helped me a great deal. Good luck and stay strong.
My Dad, sisters and I ALL read the 36 hour day and it helped us so much while Mom was going thru her Alzheimer’s. She suffered with it from 1998-2007; it was agonizing. My dad was able to care for her at home with the help of daughters and some skilled “at home” help but once she fell, broke her hip, that was it. Nursing home from 2001-2007. Read / re-read, it is so very helpful. Things you feel, wonder why my mom, why our family PLUS how to deal with caregiver fatigue. There was a “Senior Day Center” in Panama City where mom loved to go and do arts & crafts. A shuttle would pick her up and bring her home so my dad could nap, run errands, etc. Then she would come back, nap and it started again the next day.
Hi Debby….My Dad was falling alot too for a while. He has been in a Alz. Facility for almost five years. When he stopped walking and starting shuffling in a wheel chair, ,I was almost releived. I felt guilty for that, but at least he was less likely to break a hip of something. Have you noticed that your Dad has a different pain threshold than normal. I don’t think my Dad processes pain like normal, like things that would hurt me, he doesn’t even react. I wonder if that is normal for him.
My mom took care of my Dad w/alz. until she died. I know it’s hard but it is so important to let them live out this season in their life together as long as they can. Your Dad is probably scared to lose her but also overwhelmed. You don’t want him to have any regrets if she goes first. My mom fell and broke her neck and we had to disconnect life support while my Dad had alz. She wouldn’t have had it any other way. We all wanted to help her with Dad but she wanted to do it. They married for better or worse…all of that. Anyway, I have taken care of my Dad for five years now, so for my mom, taking care of my dad wasn’t a life long thing for her. My Dad is really hanging in there, even though he doesn’t walk anymore and has lost lots of his speach. Anyway, I just wanted to encourage you to let your Dad do as much as he wants to and as much as he can to he can feel useful to her. Hope this helps.
Dear Laurie,
My condolences. This is an awful situation however taking her to your summer home may disorient her
even further. That said, would you consider respite? This is a service offered by nursing homes which allows family members to get a break from care giving. Your mother would be cared for in the home and your father ( bless him) could have a break. I also wonder if it is good for you to be alone with such a dependent and wandering charge ( even if she is your mother). You need a break too. Have you looked into assisted living? many facilities, including the one my MIL lives in have several levels of care and there is help 24/7. Please do not think of any of these solutions as “abandonment”. Your mother is clearly unable to care for herself, your father is advanced in years and regular households simply do not have the facilities to care for such an ill individual. You can not do this alone unless you are prepared to spend every waking moment watching over your mother…Even then, it may not be enough… Good Luck.
My brother has been diagnosed with cancer Melatona he is in stage 4 he gets very confused and anxious at night. Is this a condition that cancer patients get?
Hi,My dear sweet aunt is 70 years old and was living alone until my uncle passed away at that time she moved in with her son.Everything was going fine and she got sick last winter and got really dehydrated. Since that time she has been put on a lot of medicine. I myself do not believe she has dementia but is way over medicated. She is confused about all of the medication she takes and sits and stares like someone over medicated. Some days she seems fine then other days she repeats things over and over.She says she doesnt know why she is like she is, so she realizes that there is something wrong. Her kids are so fed up with her which hurts me so bad. Is there a certain kind of Dr. I can try and get her to go to to check out her medication and see for sure if she has dementia..Thank you so much for your time and thanks from my sweet, sweet Aunt!!
Dear Edna,
Please see a neurologist, he can test her and test the medications. if she has a doctor apptment go with her, tell them the problem you see. Ask for a referral to a neurologist. Some people are what we call CHEAP DATES… that means, we need half the medicine doctors normally perscribe, ask the doctor is she can cut back on any meds, and yet make sure she is getting the meds she needs..
Edna, for my dad, we found him a geriatric specialist, who also sent him to a clinical pharmacist for a full meds review. You can ask the local alzheimer agency or senior center or other place like that for referrals, i would imagine. good luck!
to all, we now have hospice in, with my mother in law, but I wanted to thank the lady who worked with dementia patients in the hospital. she suggested Haldol, and when hospice came in, we got Haldol, all the depression meds did not help, the anxiety pills did not help, but Haldol did. I actually got to have a small conversation with her, it didnt last too long, but the yelling and screaming and night terrors have slowed WAY down. I think of all of you daily, my prayers are with you…
Lynda, glad the Haldol worked for your MIL. It didn’t help my dad unfortunately. Ativan is the only thing that seems to keep him under control, and now he is in the hospital after he attacked one of his caregivers. since he got violent, no facilities want to take him. still looking though. best wishes for much comfort for your MIL.
My husband has terminal cancer and is a confirmed Sundowner, has been violent on some occasions. He is currently an inpatient in Hospice but last night they called me to come help them get him back in bed. He is fast as greased lightening when he goes. He is going to be released out of inpatient tomorrow and I am desperate. We just lost $3200 to a facility and I don’t know whether I can find one that will take him, and we cannot afford it anyway. He’s on Ativan. I am just at the end of my rope. I am not a young woman and what we have been through is unbelievable anyway with all the complications of surgery that he’s had. He does definitely have dementia. He is weak as a kitten and sleeps all day, and fights demons all night. It’s an evil syndrome that’s for sure. He would never in a million years want to be in this condition.
Donna, my dad is in the same situation, with the dementia part. He is in California. After he got violent, he was evicted from 2 places. We had a really hard time finding a place that would take him. I would recommend you contact A Place for Mom (www.aplaceformom.com) and get a representative helping you (it’s free to you, as the facility pays them). They are experts on finding people in your husband’s situation places to be cared for long term or short. Ativan doesn’t work on my dad. They seem to use a combination of Haldol, Cymbalta and restraints when needed. It’s very sad. We got him into hospice too, at the one skilled nursing facility in California who would take him. It is several hours from where he had lived for the last 30 years, so no one he knows lives near. He wants to die (he doesn’t have a terminal diagnosis, other than the dementia). He also is weak during the day, but can hop up from the floor to the bed and back at night somehow. Best of luck to you!
medicines…. the right ones work wonders… HALDOL.. granny was screaming all night and day.. night terrors all day.. i was crying she was crying.. drugs.. hospice came in and saw what was happening, and said.. HALDOL.. given correctly for 3 days i started to see a difference… it was easier.. then LACUTLOSE.. pulls nitrogen from the system.. and she was almost sain again. if you have hospice ask about these two.. and she gets morphine for pain, her skin hurt every time i touched her.. so she still talks but can answer questions again.. get the right meds.. good luck.. lynda
lactulose pulls amonia.. from the body.. sorry.. haha.. sometimes we are not perfect… and its ok..
My mother is 91 years old and still in good health. My bother thinks she has sundowners but I think she just wants to move in with one of us. My husband and I just retired and travel alot so there is no way we can take care of her. We all have families to take care of. She does not want to go to a nursing home but can’t afford an assisted living. She is only scared in her home. When she goes to my brother’s or my house she is never afraid at night and is perfectly fine in the evenings. Do you think she has sundowners?? MMM
My Mother is in a nursing home and she said the lady next to her has been doing weird things at night, like accusing her of being her daughter, blocking the nursing home doorway with chairs to keep the children. My sister was told that this lady has sundowers syndrome. Now that I understand what it is I will be more understanding and listen to what Mum says happens. When you are 97yrs with a wonderful memory it is very upsetting, I will be having a word with the nursing home aout her relocation.
Hi,
I am new to this site because I never heard about sundowners until about midnight last night. My 87 yr old mom is in the hospital after having a “mini-stroke” 6 days ago. She also has stage 4 caner (breast cancer in the spine) and heart problems (now on a monitor). She called me last night terrified of the nurses, thinking they were all smoking in her room (not true, of course). She had a ct scan, which did not show anything, so the doctor said it was probably sundowners. She has not had any form of dementia, as far as we know.
She has been living on her own until now, but tomorrw we are supposed to move her to an assisted living (not skilled nursing) facility, and I don’t know wherth or not she would be able to handle it. I am worried that she will wake up in a strange place and panic without anything familiar there at first.
Since I am so new to this, and comments or suggestions?
Hi Mary,
It seems like this Sundowners Syndrome hits everyone at some stage, it is very confronting and upsetting to see your loved ones act in this way. I am the primary carer for my mother-in-law and have been through lots of episodes. My mum and I are dealing with lots of problems and try to put them into stages, it helps us to deal with all of it easier. I have found if I put the light on before it gets dark this seems to either prevent or slow the sundowners from comming on. It is worth a try, also I have tried to limit sugary foods and alcohol.
My mum has Parkinsons as well, and any change at all can onset Sundowners, so keeping routine is a big key too. Hope this is of some help, all the best.
My Dad has been in a assisted living for memory impared folks for almost five years. At first, he was a litle disoriented. The staff should know how to help him make the adjustments. It takes a little while, but from what I’ve seen, the women sometimes enjoy being with each other and make friends. You stay strong, and be patient, you are doing the best thing to help your mom.
Can someone with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibro suffer from Sundowners? Or is this a new problem I am having?
my mom had a stroke in may. we were lucky that she had it in a place in her brain that did not cause her to lose her voice and she is capable of walking and getting around. she has care givers and my sister and myself, plus a couple of wonderful cousins have been helping out. mom seems to have no idea that we are the walking zombies. i am afraid that she is getting sundowners. my mother in – law had it and it was terrible for everyone. she has trouble bathing and dressing herself. she HAS to be assisted. she is always saying that we are “doging” her ever step. well, we have been warned by the doctors and the nurses that she must not fall since she is on blood thinners and could possibly die. we try to give her as much privacy and independence that we can. mother is a terrible patient. she has never been ill so this is all new and scary for her.
I just wanted to update everyone on my mom’s move to assited living a week ago today.
As I said, she is 87, and had a mini stroke 2 weeks ago. On 4th of July, she had her first (as far as we know) sundowner symptoms. She also has breast cancer gone to her spine, and heart problems. Up until now we have worked our tails off to enable her to live in her own home, thinking it was best for her.
Well, I cannot tell you the change in my mom since her move to assisted living. She is LOVING it! She looks better than she has in years, has had no more issues with sundowning, is eating 3 square meals a day with her new friends, is going out for walks around the facility. She also feels like iniviting her old friends over for lunch now that she does not have to prepare it herself. She has plans to go to the movies, a baseball game, and a play.
I just wanted to post this because alot of us think we are doing the right thing by working our tails off to keep them in their homes, when in reality they are almost prisoners there unless we are with them. Now when we go to visit her (everyday) we are not exhausted. We are not caring for her or cleaning her house, we are there to actually just spend time with her. It has been fantastic.
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