Sundowning

 Sundowning

- How To Manage

      Normally sundowning occurs when there is a phase of light fading.   It is said that sundowning is normally found in someone that had Alzhiemers. 

Symptoms:

• Irritated - Bothered

• Restless - No sleep

• Confused

• Disoriented 

• Curious

• Throws Tantrums- Yells and Hits

• Wandering

• Pacing 

• Mood Swings

• Hallucinating 

   It is said that 1 in 5 people with Alzheimer's get sundowning.

Causes: The causes are not scientifically known. Some scientists think it happens due to change in the brain that affects the (natural body clock)!!.  The signals are affected that wakes a person or alerts them to sleep.

      Some other triggers are less light when it's day outside. This can make shadows which cause confusion and fright. The person may have trouble separating their dreams from real life. This may be disorienting. 

 How to help someone with sundowning: 

• Keep a daily routine: set a regular schedule for all activities- meals,bathing,activities,bedtime,wake time.

Schedule events early as possible before sundown.

• Avoid: limit things that disturbs sleep- alcohol, loud noises, low light, (sweets/caffeine- if so can have in mornings). They can have big daytime meals but small at dinner time. No naps or exercise that's more than 4 hours before bedtime.

Claiming Approach: 

• Fix room lighting to avoid shadows

• Tell visitors to come early- leave before sundown

• Don't have much noise.

• Do activities- play music, take walks, read, ect.

• Make sleep areas comfortable.

Lewy Body Dementia

 Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) - is a disease that is connected with abnormal deposits of protein that is called alpha-Synuclein in the brain. These deposits are called Lewy Bodies. This leads to issues with memory (thinking) movement behavior and mood. This dimension is common.  

 Symptoms:  May be mild, the person may still function normally as the disease progresses and thinking, movement decline a person may require help. As the condition worsens the person may need total care. 

    Causes: The causes are unknown.

   

    Risks: Genetics, disease and health condition, genetics.

Cognitive Symptoms: Dementia-there's serve loss of thinking

• Cognitive fluctuations- undetectable changes in concentration attention, alertness and wakefulness

• Hallucinations- visual 80% of people

Behavioral/Mood: Apathy, depression, anxiety, agitation, delusions, paranoia

Treatment: speech therapy, physical, occupational, expressive, art, mental health, palliative care

Medication: Exelon

 

Creutzfeldt - Jakob Disease

 Creutzfeldt - Jakob Disease (CJD) also known as prion human disease. It is said to be a neurodegenerative disorder. This disease quickly spreads and is always fatal. Having an infection with this disease will lead to death within one year. In many countries, the USA being one - the estimate is one case per million population.  Mental states loosen when the disease progresses.

Symptoms

• Memory Loss

• Insomnia

• Incoordination

• Personality Changes

• Blindness (Vision Issues)

• Hard Time Speaking 

• Difficulty Swallowing 

• Random Jerky Movements  

How CJD is transmitted: Sporadically: It just happens.

  Inheritance / Genes: Less than 15% of people with CJD have atamilly history of the disease or test positive for a sentence mutation.

  Contamination: A tiny number of people have been infected after their tissue has been exposed during a medical procedure.

  Risk : Genetics, age, contamination.

   Treatment: There is no treatment! The only treatment was to keep the infected person comfortable. Opiate drugs can help relieve pain. Clonazepam and sodium valproate may help ease myoclonus.