The fall time change every year marks the end of Daylight Saving Time. Clocks get set back one hour and lots of people find it tough to adjust to the time change for the first few weeks afterward. Seniors with dementia find it even more difficult to cope with the time change. Routines change, light patterns are different, and sleep gets disrupted easily. Alzheimer’s home care providers can help families learn to cope with the time change more easily.
Time Changes and Dementia
Seniors with dementia tend to do well with routines because they give seniors a sense of security and stability. Small changes to routines can cause confusion. Large changes, like time changes, can lead to confusion and frustration. Sleep patterns get disrupted, making it tougher for seniors to get to sleep. Sundowning has become a more prevalent problem. And confusion about routines is also common, making seniors feel as if they don’t know what’s happening next.
Gradually Adjust the Routine
One solution is to make changes gradually to routines before the actual time change. Starting these little shifts a week or so before the time change goes into effect can work well. Adjusting everything by a few minutes each day slows down the time change and allows seniors with dementia time to feel more comfortable. Alzheimer’s care providers can help families plan out how to adjust routines so that they’re easier on everyone involved.
Maintain Sleep Hygiene
Good sleep hygiene is so helpful to seniors with dementia. If seniors don’t already have good sleep hygiene, one way to start is with a calming routine before bed. It isn’t as important what the routine consists of, just that it’s consistent and that it helps lead the senior to sleep easily. Some seniors like listening to soft music, reading, or taking a warm shower or bath. Limiting overstimulation in the evening makes it easier for seniors to get to sleep.
Increase Natural Light Exposure
Natural light is really important for regulating the body’s internal clock. For seniors with dementia, starting the day outside for a few minutes is an easy way to get access to natural light. Spending a little time outdoors during the day with home care providers or family caregivers offers social interaction along with some more natural light.
Offer Reassurance and Support
Changes are unsettling for seniors who have dementia. They don’t want to feel that way, but it’s difficult for them to work through the confusion they experience. What helps is for Alzheimer’s home care providers and family caregivers to offer gentle reassurance throughout the day. Being patient and offering explanations about what’s happening next helps seniors adapt to the changes they’re experiencing because of the time shift.
The time change that happens in the fall can be really difficult for seniors with dementia to adjust to when it seemingly hits out of nowhere. With a plan and some help from Alzheimer’s care providers, however, it can be easier to navigate the difficulties that time changes bring to daily life.
If you or an aging loved one is considering Alzheimer’s Home Care in Smithtown, NY, please contact the caring staff at Help at Home today at (631) 859-3435
Help at Home is a top provider of home care services in Islip, Babylon, Huntington, Smithtown, Brookhaven, Hempstead & Oyster Bay, and surrounding areas on Long Island & NYC. We serve Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk Counties.
Whether you or a loved one is recuperating from an illness or a senior requiring care, we can help. Help at Home is committed to providing quality home care at affordable rates. Helping a patient remain in the comfort and security of their home is our goal. We are the best alternative to nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Help at Home caregivers
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