Sundowners

Sundowners disease.

Cyndi, my non-SIL in California, first mentioned this to me last spring when we were trying to figure out what to do with Mother for the rest of her life. She did quite a bit of online research, and it made sense.

Then, as I was reading the thoughts and writings of other boomers, I heard other people mention this new phenomenon. It seems people with Alzheimer's Disease get more confused and frustrated once the sun sets.

Today, I fully witnessed this phenomenon.

We had Hamed and Ashely over for their birthdays. We broiled steaks, had wine (Ashely turned 21!) and then watched football. It was the Vikings (Dennis's and Hamed's team favorite team) vs the Packers (Ma's team), but they didn't play until 3:15. Dennis had playfully made Ma put on a Vikings jersey and he wore his very own. Everyone, including Ashley and me (we both dislike football), were enjoying the game and sharing stories.

About 5:00, the sun began to set. First Dennis said he needed to lay down. Once I had him in bed, I asked Hamed if he would drive Mother back to JH. Then she began to fidget. "You can take me home whenever...", "Is the game almost over? I want to see the end, but, does Hamed know where I live?" "Is it dinner time? Did I eat dinner?" "Do they need to walk me up? Do I need to check in?"

Finally, I admitted defeat. I needed to take Mother back to her home. As soon as I said, "Let's go, Mom, I will drive you home," she settled down and we left immediately. She wanted to get into her pajamas immediately and get into bed when we entered her room.

On the drive back I was wondering if light therapy would help those with neurological disorders. I must remember to look that up.

Until later,
Ann and Dennis