With temperatures already reaching record highs and days rising longer, the summer time season is undoubtedly behind the nook.
While summertime is beloved by everybody who enjoys swimming and alfresco eating, it may additionally pose a tough time for these with dementia.
This season places individuals with the situation at a higher threat of sundowning, which describes a sample of elevated confusion, agitation and restlessness that normally happens within the late afternoon or night hours.
“The dynamics of sundowning can be significantly influenced by environmental factors such as heat and longer days,” stated Liban Saleh, co-founder and CEO at CareCompare.
He continued: “This is often because, during warmer days, our bodies can quickly become dehydrated.
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“Dehydration is more than just feeling thirsty; it's a physical state that can lead to confusion, lethargy, and even irritability.
“Now imagine, for a moment, already having the cognitive difficulties that come with dementia, and then adding this extra layer of confusion caused by dehydration.”
Furthermore, longer days provide extra daylight time for signs of sundowning to manifest and turn into “more pronounced”.
Fortunately, Joy Henshaw, Registered Operations Manager at Wellbeing Care, defined what indicators to search for and what to do.
According to the knowledgeable, dementia signs that may turn into worse throughout this time, embody:
The NHS recommends seeing a GP in case you’re nervous about your self or somebody who's displaying indicators of dementia.
What’s extra, there are various interventions that may assist current dementia sufferers throughout this time.
Henshaw stated: “It's important to keep the person in a cool and comfortable environment and ensure proper hydration, offering snacks throughout the day might be able to keep someone content between mealtimes if they are confused as to when their next meal may come.
“Ice pops are a great way to increase hydration.
“Relaxation therapy, soft music, emotional support and engaging activities might also help to try and distract a person from their environmental surroundings to reduce agitation in the summer months.”
The knowledgeable added that folks with the condition needs to be monitored all through the day in order that they don’t develop warmth exhaustion or heatstroke.
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