Does the time change affect who you care for?

I can't wait for Sunday mom has sundowners as well and , w the winter we have had seems like we have been sundowning all day..good luck the time change will help

I would think that's it's possible since light has a lot to do with sundowning (for some people). Also, if you're trying to keep a schedule, you may have to make the changes very slowly. The change affects us so whey not people with dementia and other issues. Definitely consider adjusting curtains and lights to fit the change and make gradual adjustments.
Good luck,
Carol

An hour will not have that much effect.

I do believe that the time change will have a great effect. An hour can have that affect. I hope it does not mother this year but it sure did last year. She had sundowners really bad last year.

Yes. Ask any nursing home worker.

I don't notice time changes having an effect on mom, but, oh boy, does the full moon! She is much more agitated and delusional during the full moon.

The time change will have an effect. Any change is difficult for alz and dementia patients and especially changes that are beyond yours or their control. Even though Mom doesn't realize the time change - the light affects her very much. I always expect calsl from the AL caregivers with the time changes. Best wishes.

What time would it be if you don't know what time it is? If you don't have a clock or watch around you you wouldn't know.

Suggestion: if you can work around it, leave a clock or two on standard time and operate as usual. Or change it gradually--I don't think the time changes are good for anybody, really; especially the spring one. But if you can keep them on the same time, go for it.

I wouldn't be surprised. I am affected by the time change. My pets are affected by it, because I change their feeding time. I really wish they would quit changing time back and forth. I'd rather them choose one time and stick with it.

Dreading it! Just about a month ago Mom's schedule adjusted to the previous change. Here we go again.

It definitely affected my mom, it would take a good 2 or 3 months for her to adjust. She would want to go to bed at 6pm and ready to start her 3am. There was no real rhyme or reason, we just had to go with the flow.

We live in AZ and so it doesn't apply, but my RN physiology tells me it could affect those with the dementias. BECAUSE they already have sleep issues, and their systems are used to getting sleepy at a certain time and to sleep for a certain amount of time. When it all changes by an hour, if that changes their routine of when they eat or shower or prepare for bed, it could affect them. Also, the longer time of daylight may flip their body's reaction to sundowning too, since that is related to light. I agree that adjusting the rising and bedtime routines a little might help them get used to it. But I have no experience with it myself. The comment re: the full moon makes a LOT of sense to me, though because I used to work in psych nursing and that change in gravity pull from earth to moon had a BIG effect on the patients minds....so I well imagine it could affect those with the dementias as well.

It affects me personally pretty badly. Other countries are confused as to why we even have this time change. The change in the sun rising is more natural when you don't change the time itself. Plus, we could just adjust work instead of shifting time. Random rant over x.x

The time change was difficult for me, not my 95 year old dad! I get up at 3:30am in order to be at work by 4:30am. Losing that one hour of sleep, despite going to bed an hour earlier, knocked the wind out of my sails. This has never happened to me before!