Care Services in Bangor, ME To Help With Nighttime Anxiety

As we age, we experience changes in all parts of our physical, social, emotional, and mental health. This can impact our daily routines, such as the habits we have established for meals, bedtime, and overnight safety. Many family caregivers of aging loved ones may notice mental health changes associated with the nighttime, including new anxieties or behaviors.

Elder care services can help to address changes throughout your loved one’s routine that encourage health, safety, and comfort around the clock. At Visiting Angels Bangor, we provide comprehensive companionship care services that can include help with meal planning, laundry, linens changing, medication reminders, as well as personal care services like bathing, toileting, and dressing. We know that one key to maintaining feelings of stability and safety throughout the day is establishing a routine that incorporates everything your loved one needs for their best health. This can help them cope with their newfound anxieties.

You might notice your aging loved one experiencing new emotions or habits at night, or other changes in behavior, such as:

• Pacing or wandering
• Aggression, anger, or yelling
• Confusion
• Increased anxiety or fear

If you are seeing these behaviors consistently in the late afternoon and early evening, your aging loved one may be experiencing “sundowning.” This is usually correlated with Alzheimer’s or dementia diagnoses, but can occur in those without Alzheimer’s as well.

Sundowning, Alzheimer’s, and dementia are all conditions that our care services are designed to assist your loved one with. We will help to adjust your loved one’s daily routine to make sure that they are safe, and feel safe, overnight. Sometimes small lifestyle changes can help, like cutting out caffeine and sugar late in the day. Sometimes establishing a pattern of activities throughout the end of the day, like closing the blinds, turning on lights, chatting with a loved one, or reading a book can encourage calmness and happiness.

If you are helping to care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia, or who may be experiencing sundowner’s syndrome, our in-home care services can help. Visiting Angels Bangor will work with you to create a customized in home care plan that meets the individual needs of your loved one, and also incorporates their unique lifestyle preferences, hobbies, and social habits. We can provide mobility assistance, transportation to medical appointments or social engagements, and excursions to local museums, senior centers, and other enrichment activities.

Call Visiting Angels Bangor to learn more about our care services and how we can help your loved one feel safe and comfortable in their own home.