Experiencing sleep disturbances or difficulty falling asleep can be particularly frustrating, especially for individuals living with dementia. These challenges can exacerbate symptoms of the condition, further impacting their quality of life.
People with dementia often experience confusion, particularly as the day transitions into night. This phenomenon, known as “sundowning,” is characterised by heightened agitation and restlessness during the evening hours. While sundowning is most commonly observed towards the end of the day, it can manifest at any time, adding to the complexity of dementia care.
Recognising the importance of providing support during these vulnerable hours, many families opt for nighttime dementia care or overnight care services. At The Good Care Group, we offer specialised overnight care as part of our comprehensive home care services. Our dedicated carers ensure that your loved ones with dementia feel safe, secure, and comfortable throughout the twilight hours, providing compassionate support tailored to their unique needs.
What is nighttime dementia care?
Nighttime dementia care provides individuals with care throughout the evening and overnight. It involves settling your loved one down for the night by establishing a helpful nighttime routine, a set bedtime, and assistance with getting ready for bed.
In addition to setting a nighttime routine, an overnight dementia carer will be on hand to help your loved one throughout the night with any issues they may be having. Individuals living with dementia often experience hallucinations, disorientation, restlessness, anxiety, and general difficulties with sleeping. A nighttime carer can help to calm anxieties and reassure your loved one throughout the night if they are experiencing any of these symptoms.
Your loved one may already have care in place during the daytime, be that a family carer or professional visiting carer. However, nighttime dementia care is designed to cover overnight hours when a carer or family member might not be available. This ensures that your loved one is receiving round the clock dementia care, day and night.
Nighttime dementia care tips
Nighttime can be difficult for people living with dementia. However, there are certain ways to help achieve a smoother transition into the twilight hours.
- Lighting – using blackout curtains and light therapy can help to make the bedroom area comfortable and conducive for sleeping. Well-lit areas outside of the bedroom are also important for nocturnal trips to the bathroom.
- Daytime activities – keeping active throughout the day and exposure to sunlight can encourage a good night’s sleep.
- Routine – establishing a good nighttime and waking routine can prevent feelings of confusion as to what time of day it is. Things like bathing and drinking a calming hot beverage just before bed can all be incorporated into a helpful nighttime routine.
- Meal times – it may also be a good idea to adjust meal times so that the evening meal is digested well before bedtime. Some people find it difficult to go to bed after a heavy meal, so making slight adjustments can help.
- Time – ensure that clocks are visibly placed throughout the home to avoid confusion over what time of day or night it is.
- Comfort – if they should wake during the night, comforting an individual living with dementia is key. Talking in a calm, quiet voice is a great way to reassure your loved one to help the feelings of confusion dissipate.
How can nighttime dementia care help?
Twilight hours can be especially distressing for people living with dementia. These episodes of agitation and stress, typically experienced towards the end of the day, are referred to as “sundowning”.
Sundowning includes a set of dementia-related behaviours such as anxiety, confusion, pacing, wandering, sleep issues, and disorientation. The direct causes of sundowning are unclear, but it can be brought on by being in an unfamiliar environment, unmet physical needs, disturbances to the internal body clock, and overstimulation.
Nighttime dementia care can help manage the symptoms of sundowning in a number of ways. An overnight dementia carer can help to set up a healthy nighttime routine, allowing your loved one to get used to set bedtime hours. A nighttime dementia carer can also ensure that your loved one is not hungry, thirsty, or needing the toilet before they go to bed, meeting their key physical needs. Finally, a live-in carer can support your loved one round the clock all in the familiar surroundings of home, helping to reduce feelings of confusion.
Our specialist nighttime dementia care, provided by experts
Our nighttime dementia carers are well equipped to manage feelings of anxiety, sleep disturbances, and hallucinations that people living with dementia often experience. Enlisting the help of expert nighttime dementia carers can ensure that your loved one will be in the safest possible hands overnight.
Nighttime dementia care can be provided in two forms, these include:
- Sleeping night care – this is when a professional carer lives with your loved one in their home and is on hand to support them up to twice during the night, offering comfort and reassurance. Sleeping night care then enables the same carer to support your loved one during the day.
- Waking night care – this is when a professional carer provides overnight care but is awake during the night-time hours, so they are alert and on hand to monitor your loved one and respond appropriately to any changes in their health.
Meet our dementia expert
Our approach to live-in care with dementia is developed and led by our in-house team of clinical experts. Working closely with leading dementia charity Dementia UK, we uniquely have our full-time consultant Admiral Nurse, Dr Jane Pritchard. With our in-house Occupational Therapist, Katrina Burns they both offer practical and emotional support to our clients and their families at what can be a very difficult time. We adopt a multidisciplinary approach to our dementia care service, working alongside healthcare professionals to ensure positive outcomes for all our clients. This means they can stay safely and happily at home with the right support and equipment to get the most out of their life.
How can nighttime dementia care be provided?
Our specialist home care can be provided in the following ways for someone living with dementia:
24-hour live-in care
24-hour Live-in care for when round the clock care is needed to ensure a person can continue to live well in their own home. Familiar surroundings and routines are paramount in helping those living with specialist conditions like dementia.
Short term care
Short term care, intermediate care, or convalescent care following discharge from hospital or for those needing post-operative rehabilitation or recovery from illness.
Respite care
Respite care can provide a family carer with a much-needed break from caring for a loved one or can be used as an opportunity to see how live-in care works and whether it is right for you and your family.
Emergency care
Emergency care at home is suitable for those who need an urgent live-in care arrangement put in place following unexpected surgery, an accident or sudden illness.
Cost of dementia nighttime care
The cost of nighttime care for dementia is typically in line with – and sometimes less than – what you would pay for residential care, with the added benefit of receiving one-to-one tailored care which is difficult to achieve in a care home.
It is also worth considering that live-in care is often cheaper than the total cost of domiciliary care for people living with dementia. When a person is receiving hourly domiciliary care, they are often charged for additional services to support the person’s dementia needs on top of the cost of the carer visiting. These extras can add up over time. This means providing hourly care to someone living with high or complex needs is often more expensive than the price of an inclusive live-in care service.
Talk to us about your dementia care needs
Our friendly and experienced team is here to help you and your family make sense of the options available to you. Call us today – we will help you every step of the way.
