When you get off work tomorrow or go to eat dinner, it will seem so late. Going to bed will seem a bit odd. Why? The reason … Daylight Savings Time begins. Whether you agree with it or not, it is followed by the society most of live in so it will be observed by the places where we shop, worship and work. A person living with Alzheimer’s Disease or Dementia often has a difficult time coping with changes like this.
“When Daylight Savings Time occurs, dinner time may now take place after the sun sets instead of during the natural light hours of the day. Some experts recommend adjusting the daily schedule, for those with dementia, to reflect the same conditions as before Daylight Savings Time. For example, schedule dinner an hour earlier so you are finished before it gets dark. Subtle adjustments such as this can help your loved one with AD to adapt easier to changes that can’t be avoided such as Daylight Savings Time.”
There are things you can do to help the person affected when there is conflict between their internal and external clock due to the time change. These suggestions come from alzbetter.com which is a website Interiors for Seniors frequents often to learn more about dealing with this disease on a daily basis.
Let more light in, increase the lighting in the home, especially beginning in the mid-to-late afternoon and into the early evening
Use of full-spectrum lights
Provide ample activity throughout the day for better sleeping in the night
Limit daytime napping
Provide the largest meal at lunchtime
Stimulating or cognitive activities are best performed late morning and early-mid afternoon
Offer physical exercise and activities in mid-to-late afternoon, but no later than 4 hours before bedtime
https://alzbetter.com/daylight-savings-adds-confusion/
