Agitation can be distressing for your loved one and for you. Symptoms include restlessness, irritability, and even verbal outbursts. Engaging in appropriate activities can help reduce distress and restore a sense of comfort for your loved one. Here’s how to cope.

While having your loved one wandering around the house might be challenging to you as a caregiver, it’s not necessarily unsafe. However, some wandering can be dangerous, including going into areas of the house such as stairwells, decks, hot tubs, or swimming pools. Also dangerous is your loved one leaving the house, yard, or property alone. To address the challenges of your loved one wandering, you can try some of these tactics.

Sundowning is a state of increased agitation, activity and negative behaviors which happen late in the day through the evening hours. When sundowning, the person may become demanding, suspicious, upset, or disoriented, see or hear things that are not there, and believe things that are not true. They may pace or wander around the house while others are sleeping. Here are some tips for potentially reducing the occurrence of sundowning and softening its effects when it does happen.