Nighttime can be a difficult time for Alzheimer’s patients. It is often the time when they are the most restless and prone to wandering. For caregivers it can be an anxious, nerve-wracking time. Family caregivers often lose sleep because they worry their loved one will leave home late at night.
It’s fairly common for seniors with Alzheimer’s to experience disruptions in their circadian rhythms, which cause them wake in the middle of the night. Byron Center Manor is offering a new program for Alzheimer’s patients called Twilight Care. This service offers overnight care for patients between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 a.m.
The goal of the Twilight Care program is to keep restless patients in an environment that is safe while family caregivers can get the rest they need. The cost for Twilight Care is $120 per night.
Why Alzheimer’s Patients Wander
There are a number of reasons why an Alzheimer’s patient will wander:
Anxiety and stress are normal parts of life, but Alzheimer’s patients are not able to cope in the same ways as people without the illness. Wandering can be a way for patients to express these negative feelings. Caregivers should remember that wandering is not an intentional or manipulative action on the part of the patient.
Confusion is a part of daily life for patients. For patients who are unable to remember the time and place, day-to-day living can be a scary thing. Wandering may be a way for patients to try and escape the unfamiliar and unsettling things around them.
Sometimes medications have unwanted side effects. For example, the drug Diazepam is often used to treat anxiety, but it can also lead patients to feel less inhibited. Other medicines used to treat illnesses unrelated to Alzheimer’s may cause a patient to become nervous and restless and increase his or her proclivity for wandering.
Tags: Alzheimer's, Anxiety, Caregiver, Stress, Twilight Care
