Someone you care for may Sundowner's Syndrome. Dementia can have a huge effect on a person’s mood and behaviour and one of the most difficult, yet very common side effects of this condition might be happening to the person at the same time each day. This includes things like anxiety, agitation and hallucinations and will occur at the end of each day as the sun goes down, hence the term ‘Sundowners Syndrome’ or ‘sundowning’.
This regular occurrence can be very distressing for the person suffering as well as the person supporting them as it can put them at a higher risk if they start wandering or start to experience extreme confusion.
There are other symptoms to look out for when trying to diagnose this condition, for example the person following their support giver around and asking many questions or even losing the ability to communicate coherently. But there are also ways to minimise these symptoms if dealt with in the correct way. Click here to find out what these are.