You and your loved one got through another day. You had some great moments together, and at times, it was a lot of work, but now it’s time for bed, so you begin to feel like you can relax for a bit.
Taking care of a loved one with dementia is a 24-hour job, and as the disease progresses, it begins to affect more and more of their daily habits. What usually starts with needing help with some simple chores during the day, like making meals or providing transportation, soon increases to needing assistance with everything from bathing to dressing to sleeping.
And as a caregiver, it often doesn’t end when you finally help your loved one settle in for the night because dementia can, unfortunately, mess with a person’s ability to sleep through the night. These nighttime wanderings not only keep you and your loved one up all night but might put him in danger if the proper safety measures are not taken.
Two Reasons for Nighttime Wandering
While there are lots of reasons why your loved one may no longer be sleeping through the night and finding himself wandering around the home, they generally come down to two reasons – physical discomfort and cognitive decline.
Physical discomfort can be anything that would keep anyone up at night, but for those with dementia, it’s more likely to lead to a state of confusion and make it more difficult to fall back asleep. It can be that the bedroom is too warm or cold, it can be physical pain from another health condition like arthritis, or it can be an uncomfortable bed.
Cognitive decline often refers more to the confusion that those with advanced dementia experience. Your loved one may wake up and think he’s someplace else or has something he must do (like go to work or check on the kids). He might also not remember where he is and may begin to wander about trying to determine where the bathroom is or his bedroom. Dementia can also cause a person’s circadian rhythm to become irregular, making it more difficult for their body to understand when it’s daytime and when it’s nighttime.
Keeping Your Loved One Safe When He Wanders
The first step in safety is keeping your home secure so that your loved one cannot leave the home in the middle of the night and get lost or hurt. Installing locks that he can’t unlock on doors and windows might be necessary. And while you cannot stay awake all night, having a 24-hour home care team who always has someone awake in the home may help. 24-hour home care team providers are trained to help your loved one find his way back to bed safely. With home care that supports those overnight hours, you can sleep better, too.
If you see your loved one wandering at night, there are several steps you can take to help him get back to bed and back to sleep. It’s important for you to stay calm, and even if you’re frustrated, to keep those frustrations and even anger hidden. Instead, calmly ask what he needs. If it’s something you can help with, like going to the bathroom, then assist him and then get him to bed. If he’s asking for something you can’t do (like see his deceased wife), calmly say you’ll help him tomorrow and encourage him to go back to bed. Remind him that everything is okay and that you’re there for him, but you both need sleep.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care in Madisonville, LA, please contact the caring staff at BrightCare Homecare today at (985) 224-0404
BrightCare Homecare is a top provider of home care services in the Northshore area, including Mandeville, Covington, Madisonville, Hammond, Ponchatoula, Slidell, Lacombe, Abita Springs, Goodbee, St. Tammany Parish, and more.
Through a personalized care plan, BrightCare HomeCare provides the necessary services and care to cater to your unique personal and health needs. With us, we ensure around-the-clock services and supervision to help achieve optimum health and wellness.
We are a top provider of home care services in Lafayette, Youngsville, Broussard, New Iberia, Breaux Bridge, Carencro, Opelousas, Sunset, Crowley, Abbeville, Scott, Cecilia, Port Barre, Iota, and the surrounding areas.
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