Taking care of a person with dementia in your home can definitely be challenging. It's not a job for the faint of heart. If you are taking on the job of being an in-home caregiver for a loved one with dementia, you've got your work cut out for you. It's hard to understand the thought processes and behaviors of people who have dementia, especially during evening hours and through the night.

It may be even harder to control their behaviors and keep them safe. Fortunately, there are a few important things you can do to make things a little easier on you and your loved one who is suffering from this horrible condition. Here is what you need to know.

Understand why evenings & nights seem to be the most challenging

First, the evening and nighttime hours are difficult because that is usually when a person with dementia is the most tired. It's so challenging, in fact, that the medical community has given it a name—sundowning. When people are tired, no matter what age and mental condition, they can get confused and cranky. For people with dementia, they don't have the ability to think things through in the here-and-now and they may relive memories that may have happened many decades ago. This can lead to them wanting to wander off.

Just think about your children when they were toddlers, and compound their confusion and crankiness one-hundred-fold and that's what you may deal with during the evening hours with a loved one with dementia. One huge difference? A toddler is easier to control due to their body size. You can just pick them up and move them.

Another huge difference? Since you probably can't physically move your loved one when they try to wander off, especially since the act of doing that could likely trigger a temper tantrum, he or she will need to be controlled in other ways, including redirection and avoidance.

Eliminate their ability to wander

Sundowning leads to wandering, and wandering can lead to seriously dangerous situations, such as your loved one wandering onto a busy road and getting hit by a vehicle. They may see a set of car keys in the home and get an idea to go looking for their high school sweetheart. For people with dementia, it's important to keep their living spaces free of triggers that may cause them to want to wander off.

Out of sight, out of mind is one thing to keep in mind to avoid triggering their desire to wander. Triggers could include hearing a song or a conversation that reminds them of someone from their past. They may see something regarding their career and feel like they need to go to work.

The one crucial thing to do to your home to prepare it so your loved one is kept safely inside your home during these bouts of sundowning and wandering is to install door locks that he or she will not be able to open. Of course, most door locks are on the outside, but you'll need to have door locks on the inside, too. It's a good idea to have door locks with programmable keypads in which a pin number is required to unlock the door. That way, you won't have to worry about your loved one getting their hands on a key. If you want more information about lock options, you can read more here, or contact a local locksmith company. 

However, just in case your loved one does get out of the home, you'll want to have a security alarm system notify you immediately. Your security system could be as simple as an audible alarm connected to motion detectors at each exterior door, or a professional security system installed by a licensed locksmith. Don't forget to keep all car keys out of sight, just in case.

When caring for a loved one with dementia, evening and nighttime hours seem to be the worst due to a phenomenon called sundowning. Secure your home and vehicle keys so your loved one does not wander off when they experience sundowning.