BALTIMORE: Money is being sought by one of the country’s largest nonprofit geriatric health and rehabilitation institutions to fund an overnight respite pilot program called ‘night care’.
There is a growing preference among older adults with Alzheimer’s, moderate-to-severe dementia and other physical and cognitive challenges, and their families, to age at home — either in their own houses, with their families or in aging-in-place communities.
Beginning twice a week with two patients and growing to three times a week with 31, a staff of nurses, aides and recreation therapists trained to work with dementia patients will engage them in music, art and aromatherapy.
These activities, in particular, have been shown to help stave off the restlessness, disorientation, depression, anxiety and verbal or physical aggression, collectively known as ‘sundowning’, in dementia patients at night.
“Sundowning makes sleep challenging for both patient and caregiver, especially when the caregiver is a family member who works outside the home or has other responsibilities during the day,” said…