sundowning
Evening dementia agitation
Sundowning is a pattern of increased confusion, agitation, or anxiety that occurs in the late afternoon and evening, typically in people with dementia or Alzheimer's disease.
The name comes from symptoms worsening around sunset.
Caregivers often find this period the most challenging part of the day: Dad's sundowning has gotten worse—he gets agitated every evening around five.
Mental disorientation or bewilderment
- disorientationLoss of spatial awareness
- agitationDisturbed, restless state
- afternoonPost-meridian hours
- deliriumAcute mental disorientation
irritability · restlessness · wandering · pacing · nocturnal · circadian · neurological · escalation
Dimming after sundown
- eveningLate day period
- dimmingDecreasing in brightness
- gloamingPoetic term for dusk
- nightfallOnset of darkness
darkening · shadows · crepuscular · eventide
Degenerative brain disease
- neurodegenerativeCausing brain cell death
- senilityAge-related mental decline
- forgetfulnessFailure to retain information
- deteriorationProcess of declining quality
hallucinations · delusions · frontotemporal · plaque · neuropsychiatric · progression · diagnosis · late-stage
Weariness from prolonged exertion
- hungerNeed for nourishment
- thirstNeed for fluid
- overstimulationExcessive sensory input
- shadowsDark areas from blocked light
One providing daily assistance
- redirectionChange of course
- reassuranceWords meant to calm
- routineRegular sequence of actions
- supervisionOverseeing people or processes
respite · nursing · patience · soothing · nightlight
confusion
Mental disorientation or bewilderment
- disorientationLoss of spatial awareness
- agitationDisturbed, restless state
- afternoonPost-meridian hours
delirium · irritability · restlessness · wandering · pacing · nocturnal · circadian · neurological · escalation · disturbance
dusk
Dimming after sundown
nightfall · darkening · shadows · crepuscular · eventide
Alzheimer's
Degenerative brain disease
- neurodegenerativeCausing brain cell death
- senilityAge-related mental decline
- forgetfulnessFailure to retain information
deterioration · hallucinations · delusions · frontotemporal · plaque · neuropsychiatric · progression · diagnosis · late-stage
fatigue
Weariness from prolonged exertion
- hungerNeed for nourishment
- thirstNeed for fluid
- overstimulationExcessive sensory input
caregiver
One providing daily assistance
- redirectionChange of course
- reassuranceWords meant to calm
- routineRegular sequence of actions
supervision · respite · nursing · patience · soothing · nightlight
- mental symptomsanxiety, depression, paranoia, hallucination, delusion
- dementiamemory loss, Alzheimer's, forgetfulness, cognitive decline, memory impairment
- agingaging process, aging body, biological age, aging workforce, aging parents
- cognitive symptomsmemory loss, confusion, disorientation, brain fog, forgetfulness
- elder caresenior care, aged care, elderly care, gerontologist, geriatrician
- madnessmadness, lunacy, insanity, mania, schizophrenia