Originally published at: https://healthyrr.com/dementia-behaviors-calming-agitation-sundowning/
Calm the chaos. Quick scripts, a 90-minute evening routine, and a safety checklist to ease sundowning at home.
Behavior science 101 (needs → signals)
Here’s the truth: when someone with dementia paces, argues, calls out, or says “I need to go home,” it’s not defiance. It’s communication.
Why? The brain has fewer reliable words and less processing power. So the body talks instead—through movement, tone, and patterns across the day. And almost every tough moment traces back to three roots:
- Unmet needs (the body is asking)
Think physiology first. Hunger/thirst → looks like restlessness or rummaging. Full bladder/constipation → standing up and down, tugging at clothes, snappy irritability. Pain (hips, back, feet, mouth) → refusing care, calling out, or…
Troubleshooting matrix.pdf (287.2 KB)
7-day Evening Routine.pdf (362.9 KB)
3–4 PM Trigger Scan.pdf (190.9 KB)
One-page Calm Dementia Guide.pdf (986.9 KB)