Melton Care Services Limited

13/11/2025

Hinckley folk 🎄

13/11/2025

🌇 Understanding Sundowning

Sometimes a person living with dementia can become unsettled, anxious, or more confused later in the afternoon or evening. This pattern is known as sundowning.

It can happen at any stage of dementia, but is more often seen in the middle or later stages. The exact cause isn’t fully understood, but several factors can contribute.

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💡 Common Triggers
• Tiredness, discomfort, hunger, or pain
• Insufficient daylight exposure during the day
• Overstimulation from noise or activity
• Changes in the body’s natural rhythm (the internal “clock”)
• Hormone fluctuations throughout the day
• Hearing or vision difficulties causing extra confusion
• Emotional distress or low mood
• Side effects from medication
• Reduced support or fewer carers present in the evening

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🌿 Supportive Approaches
• Make sure physical needs (comfort, hunger, toilet) are met.
• Keep indoor lighting even and reduce shadows or glare.
• Close curtains or blinds as daylight fades to avoid reflections.
• Create calm – reduce noise, turn off the TV if not in use.
• Offer reassurance or gentle conversation, perhaps about something familiar and positive.
• Think about events earlier in the day that might have unsettled them.

If the person remains distressed, they may be trying to express a need they can’t easily put into words. Gentle patience and comfort can make a real difference.

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🕊️ Melton Care Services

Supporting dignity, understanding, and calm for every moment of the day.

11/11/2025

Happy team in Hinckley ❤️ looking really smart

09/11/2025

05/11/2025

We have care staff that work full time and part time who care for parents and children plus have illnesses of their own.
Its so challenging for them and we appreciate how much effort it takes to juggle it all. They deserve medals 🥇 above all they turn up day after day to work.

Have you ever heard the term ‘sandwich carer’?

This means someone who's caring for a parent, or other older relative, while also raising children – and often working a job, too.

An estimated 2.4 million people in the UK care for both older and younger generations, so if this describes you, then you’re not alone. And this ‘triple burden’ of care can have a huge impact on physical, financial and emotional wellbeing.

We asked members of our Dementia Support Forum what advice they would offer to others finding themselves ‘sandwiched’ between caring responsibilities.

Here’s what they said:

‘Lay out your boundaries. Realistically, what can you do without compromising your wellbeing? It was only when I broke down that I realised I couldn’t do it anymore.'

‘Don’t overpromise. I always said to my mum I would keep her independent and at home as long as possible, but I never promised that we wouldn’t consider a care home.’

‘Ask for help (and then take it!) I have a good friend who my son is happy to go with (he’s very attached to me!) so he hasn’t had to sit through all the hospital appointments.’

‘Look after you. You can’t love your “carees” any more if the stress of caring damages your health and wellbeing. Be firm and do the right thing – look after yourself.’

And if you ever need any support or advice, call our Dementia Support Line on 0333 150 3456.