My wife suffers from some symptoms of dementia (memory loss, confusion and occasional temper outbursts)...with memory loss and confusion seeming to be the worst.
I seem to sense more of these when she seems tired and just before evening meal time. Is anyone aware of being to control diet (maybe a sugar supplement late in the day ) as a way of improving memory, controlling confusion, anger, etc. I haven't seen any information on this topic.
TIA
I think what is happening with your wife is that she is showing signs of "sundowning" which makes the symptoms show stronger starting in later afternoon and through the night time [it can also start earlier in the afternoon].
If your wife is tired, have the doctor check her vitamin B levels. If low, adding more vitamin B could make her less tired. Or it may not. Or she might be active around the clock. One never knows at this point in the time how a person will react.
One thing you can try is moving the evening a little earlier. Or perhaps have a snack mid-afternoon. Crackers and cheese. Apple wedges and peanut butter. A small dish of ice cream. Not a whole meal, just a little pick-me-up. Some people need to eat more often to keep their blood sugar levels from slumping. This may have nothing to do with your wife's problems, but it is an easy thing to try.
(I worked with a guy once who got crabby if his lunch was delayed. He kept a box of snickers in his desk drawer and ate one if it looked like lunch might be late. )
When I walk my mom she uses a WALKER. There is no way she can walk nearly a half mile without her walker--and remember it took over a year to get her to walk that far. It took one year to get her to walk a quarter of a mile. She can go a little further now. Also keeping her awake during the day she generally sleeps all night. I use NO narcotics and NO psychotropic DRUGS. Psychotropic medications increase risk for falling and only mask symptoms. I say keep them moving. If I don't exercise her she can be most difficult. Exercise is the key. but gradually introduce it and gradually increase tolerance. It takes time. With exercise she's a lot better and improved her quality of life..and mine.
If your wife is beginning to show clear signs of dementia, it's a good time to think about structuring her environment and her day anyway. She'll feel more secure if things run to a reliable timetable, plus you'll be able to see where the gaps between mealtimes are too long and maybe shift things around a bit.
Exercise is good for everyone, I agree; ideally out of doors, in good daylight; and my mother's mental health nurse also recommended a 1-2 hour nap after lunch.
And what the heck is a 'sugar supplement'??? No. Try a sandwich, or a couple of crackers with some cream cheese. Except for diabetics going hypo, it is hard to think of *anyone* who needs more sugar in their diet.
You are on the right track and Cetude, a few others are right there with you. Exercise, Hydration, and Nutrition are Keys to Life!
At our small ALF home in Pembroke Pines, FL, we have seen amazing results with Walking, being Outside where the Sunshine is on our skin, and Yes, Daily Routine. I, myself as a caregiver and a person, have seen and felt amazing improvement in my own health and focus with this program.
We use only healthy foods, whole wheat bread, brown rice, whole wheat or veggie/bean pasta with extra protein, quinoa, spelt berries, steel cut oats, not the mushy ones. Lots of fruits and vegetables, and plenty of pure Water, by reverse osmosis, that filters out the chlorine, fluoride and other chemicals, without causing the huge waste of plastic bottles for the environment.
We use Coconut Oil, Coconut Milk and Coconut Water. With enough fiber and Hydration, people eliminate better, and think clearer. The exercise is also Key and that they get Outside Daily to see the Sun, to be Connected again to the timeless rhythm of life and this helps hugely in the prevention of sundowning.
Change your light bulbs in the home (yeah, a hundred or two but Worth it!) to Daylight color spectrum, so that even when it's not friendly out to that walk, she gets Daylight Every day. Don't let her sleep in the daytime, keep her busy. Get her up Early with the Sun, the Natural way, and Limit Screen Time. That Blue light emitted Causes Insomnia, the last thing you need.
Cetude is right, Daily Routine, Same time and they will Ask to go for a walk. It really is that easy, when you get it going. People with memory loss feel so much Safer if they Know what to expect, Daily.
To me, my loved one's quality of life is more important than depriving her of her favorite treats. I make sure she gets them on a regular basis. Her pleasure and enjoyment is very important to me than a strict diet that is not going to prolong her life. Dementia is a terminal illness, so, for me, making every day happy for her is my goal.
If your wife seems to have mental distress that continues, ask your doctor if medication would be helpful or if there are things that could do that might make her feel better, like gentle music. I've read that playing those CD's of relaxing music, sounds of nature, waterfalls, birds, can help calm a dementia patient.
I would be wary of those who offer promises to help or reverse dementia with diet or supplements. I think that desperation and grief can make us place our faith in any number of cures, treatments. If in doubt, discuss it with a Neurologist, psychiatrist of even her primary doctor.
Spot On. Nobody needs more sugar in their diet. Especially the poison that is HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup) That is OFF our list, and I buy nothing with this highly processed, highly Addictive substance in it.
In fact, Alzheimer's has been known lately as "Diabetes Type 3" in professional circles of eldercare, so closely is it linked to the spikes in blood sugar that occur eating processed junk.
Cetude, you're right! No Junk Food, and No psychotropic drugs. In fact to sleep, we give melatonin, tryptophan, exercise & hydration. When does one add more water, to ourselves or to our elderly? We will find it Hard to drink enough. So I do it at the Beginning of my day. I began to put a glass of water beside my bed, to drink when I first woke, smaller at first, then later larger, and as the seasons changed I got a thermos from IKEA, metal clad & interior (they don't break as old thermoses used to) When weather is cooler, I put warm or even hot water in it, or tea without sugar.
Thing is, it's hard to do all that at night. So I wake to go to the bathroom, drink a third to half the water, go pee, come back (usually before I intend to fully get up but more hydrated, I sleep better and get up with energy after the first drink) to bed for my "snooze" after drinking a bit more. Then magically half an hour later, my eyes pop open and my mind is filled with the amazing possibilities of today. Really.
I've found in 8 years, nobody whines for their white carbs, cookies and candy - at all. Even those eating junk, soon begin to feel better with us. We also do adult daycare, and I've found families saying, "Wow, she's speaking in complete sentences, sleeping better, no longer has hemorrhoids, and it's since she's coming here!"
I'm happy to tell those who say diet has nothing to do with Alzheimer's & dementia, that it really can make all the difference in quality of life, and thus the way having it Affects them and their caregivers.
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It simply Works
You will need to adapt.
Make your larger meal in the afternoon. (healthier anyway according to my Grandma..Eat breakfast like a King, Lunch like a Prince and dinner like a Pauper)
This will eventually change so her larger more substantial meal will be in the morning.
She gets exhausted trying to keep things straight in her mind. Who she is, who you are, where she is, do underpants go on first or the long pants, do you put shoes on first or pants, where the bathroom is, what to do when she gets there. This is making her mind work even harder. Maybe even how to walk, how to open a door.
Doing all this takes a lot of energy so by the mid afternoon early evening she is done!.
The restlessness in the evening commonly called "Sundowning" can be anything from pure frustration, wandering , anger or any OCD becomes more pronounced.
Keep the lights on as much as possible. Switch lights to LED they seem to be brighter and more true to a sunlight. (They also use less energy and if you have to keep lights on that's a good thing)
It can be anything from shadows to exhaustion that causes more problems. Eye sight is not great at this stage in our lives and with dementia we have no idea what the shadows do to trick the eye or mind.
She will sleep more during the day and longer in the morning and maybe even want to go to bed earlier. This is normal and it is a way for the body to try to rest and prepare for the next day and try to repair itself. And with any dementia repair is impossible but the body keeps trying.
Bottom line when it comes to adapting to a new routine you must be the one that adapts. It makes it much easier and less frustrating for all.
I beleive ( and have seen it work) that EXERCISING, CHOOSING HEALTHY ORGANIC FOODS and supplementing with HIGH QUALITY VITAMINS has EVERYTHING to do with it!
As we age, (Especially women) our bodies stop producing enough of things like Vitamin D, Calcium, magnesium etc.... My Mother is in the the mid stages of dementia. When I changed her diet from JUNK FOODS like peanut butter, cakes, pies, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Hydrogenated Oils etc.. and replaced them with Almond Butter, Almond Milk, Fresh Veggies and Fruit & Gluten Free breads, I think it made a HUGE Difference!
Plus she walks everyday now. I also took her to a functional medicine doctor that focuses mainly on Women's health issues. ( this is an MD that is open to natural therapies like high quality organic foods, supplementation, and pushes nontoxic approaches with a strong emphasis on disease prevention and optimizing wellness.)
It was determined that Mom was EXTREMELY low in Vitamin D, had thyroid issues and was low in Calcium and Magnesium. When supplementing it's best to use HIGH QUALITY Supplements. No Walmart brands with more fillers than vitamins. Health food stores have the best and the owner or employees can help you choose them. Magnesium is good for sleep, the heart, kidneys and anxiety to name a few. My husband commented the other day that my mother seems to be calmer, more perky and to generally have a better outlook on life. She still has her moments, but overall I think she is happier! This makes us all happier!
DISCLAIMER: I am NOT a doctor and I am NOT claiming that this will work for everyone. I'm just saying that it has worked for us so far. :-)
When you lose your appetite, be very wary when you no longer have hunger pains for prolonged periods of time, even years, this is where the problems start. Sometimes you eat because you know you must to survive even if you're not hungry