Sundowning Syndrome: Clinical Factors and Therapeutic Approaches - 2/26/2025
Course Overview
Healthcare professionals who work with dementia patients often face unique challenges with adverse events from the dementia process. One frequently reported challenge is "sundowning syndrome", which can lead to escalated behaviors and clinical symptoms in the afternoons or evenings. This course explains the pathophysiology of sundowning syndrome to include the neurobiological, medical, pharmacological, psychosocial, and environmental factors which contribute to the signs and symptoms of this disorder. Furthermore, this course expounds on evidence-based and practical interventions to address sundowning symptoms to include those that address underlying conditions, those that promote more quality sleep, environmental factors found to be effective, and other non-pharmacological interventions shared by nursing services and caregivers.
Learning Outcomes
Upon the completion of this course, the learner should be able to:
- Identify the contributing neurobiological abnormalities that interfere with normal circadian rhythm, leading to the sundowning syndrome.
- Identify the risks with pharmacological interventions for people with sundowning syndrome.
- Recognize the medical and environmental factors, to assess and address the needs of a person with sundowning symptoms.
- Select the recommended interprofessional techniques found to be effective with those who show signs of sundowning behaviors.
About the Author/Presenter
Lisa Young Milliken, MA, CCC-SLP, FNAP, CDP has served as a practitioner, regional manager, vice president, consultant, compliance director and education specialist. She has lectured at the state and national level with over 300 professional education courses on topics of importance to the healthcare professional. She is a Certified Dementia Practitioner and has mentored team members in senior retirement communities for their development of effective non-pharmacological strategies and dementia program management. She also volunteers with community programs in the Houston area to support caregivers of family members living with multiple disorders. She is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, where she currently serves as a State Advocate for Medicare Policy for Texas. She is Vice President of Professional Services for the Texas Speech-Language and Hearing Association and also serves on the Financial Advisory Committee and the Publications Board of this organization. She is a Distinguished Fellow of Public Policy for the National Academies of Practice where she serves as the Co-Chair of the Forum Planning Committee and is a prior board president of the Louisiana Speech-Language and Hearing Association and an alumnus of the Council of State Association Presidents. Finally, she is a member of the Kingwood-Humble Aggie Mom Board and lives in Houston, Texas.
Audience/Accreditations and Approvals
Colibri Healthcare
This course is designed for the following healthcare professions (select your profession for details):
Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy
If you require special accommodations, please contact Colibri Healthcare Support by clicking here: Contact Us
