I-Sundowning: Imisebenzi Ethulile Yasentambama Ne-Dementia

Imindeni eminingi ibona iphethini efanayo: ekuseni kuthule kahle, kodwa njengoba intambama iqhubeka, umuntu ophila ne-dementia uyaphumula kancane, ukhathazeka, uyadideka noma uyacasuka. Angase ahambehambe, acele “ukuya ekhaya” noma esekhaya, noma akhathazeke kalula. Lokhu kuvame ukubizwa ngokuthi i-sundowning.

Akukho okukodwa okuyilungisayo, kodwa izinguquko ekuhambeni kosuku, egumbini nasohlotsheni lwemisebenzi enikunikezayo zingase zenze intambama ithule kakhulu. Leli khasi liqoqa imibono esebenzayo, engeyona eyezokwelapha, evela ku-National Institute on Aging nase-Alzheimer’s Association. Akuyona iseluleko sezokwelapha. Uma izimpawu zintsha, ziyazuma noma ziya ngokuba zimbi, khulumani nodokotela womuntu.

Iyini i-sundowning?

I-Sundowning ukungaphumuli, ukukhathazeka, ukucasuka noma ukudideka okuqala noma okwanda njengoba ukukhanya kwemini kuncipha, ntambama ephuzile noma ekuqaleni kokuhlwa. I-National Institute on Aging (NIA) ithi ukudinwa ngokweqile kungakhulisa ukungaphumuli ekupheleni kosuku.

Yini engenza ukungaphumuli ekupheleni kosuku kube kubi kakhulu?

Izinto eziningana zingabangela, ngokuvamile ndawonye. I-Alzheimer’s Association ibala izici ezifana nalezi:

• ukukhathala ngemva kosuku olugcwele;
• indawo entsha noma edidayo;
• “iwashi lomzimba langaphakathi” elingahambelani, elishiya umuntu enobuthongo emini futhi evukile ebusuku;
• ukukhanya okuphansi nethunzi, okungadida;
• ukuzwa ukukhathazeka noma ukucasuka kwabantu abamzungezile;
• ukudinga ukulala okuncane, okujwayelekile kubantu abadala.

I-NIA yengeza izimbangela zokukhathazeka ngokujwayelekile, kuhlanganise nobuhlungu, ukudangala noma ukukhathazeka, ukuphumula okuncane, ukuqumba, umsindo omkhulu noma abantu abaningi kakhulu, nemithi ethile noma ukuhlangana kwemithi.

Ngihlela kanjani usuku ukuze kusihlwa kuthule kakhulu?

Hambisani izinto ezinzima kusenesikhathi bese nigcina intambama ithambile futhi ibikezelekile. Zombili i-NIA ne-Alzheimer’s Association zincoma uhlelo oluvamile. Usuku oluyisibonelo, ongaluvumelanisa nolwakho:

Amaphuzu ambalwa athile avela emithonjeni:

• Ukukhanya kwemini. I-NIA iphakamisa ukuhlela isikhathi ngaphandle noma eceleni kwefasitela ukuze kutholakale ilanga nsuku zonke.
• Ukunyakaza nsuku zonke, kodwa hhayi kakhulu. Yenzani umzamo wokuba nomsebenzi womzimba nsuku zonke ngaphandle kokuhlela imisebenzi eminingi kakhulu, kusho i-NIA.
• Okuphuzwayo ekupheleni kosuku. Gwemani utshwala nokuphuza okune-khafini, njengekhofi noma i-cola, ekupheleni kosuku (i-NIA). I-Alzheimer’s Association iphinde ikhulume nge-nicotine.
• Ukulala emini. Ncengani umuntu ukuba angalali isikhathi eside noma angozeli ekupheleni kosuku (i-NIA). I-Alzheimer’s Association iphakamisa ukunciphisa ukulala emini uma ukulala ebusuku kuyinkinga.

Ukuze nithole okwengeziwe ngokwakha usuku olunzinzile, bheka imisebenzi yohlelo lwansuku zonke.

Ngiyenza kanjani ikhaya libe thule ntambama ephuzile?

Nciphisani umsindo, nengeze ukukhanya futhi nigcine izinto ezijwayelekile seduze.

• Ukukhanya okukhanyayo, okulinganayo. I-Alzheimer’s Association incoma ukugcina ikhaya likhanyiswe kahle kusihlwa. Khanyisani indawo ngaphambi kokuba kuvele amathunzi.
• Umsindo omncane. Vala noma wehlise i-TV nomsakazo, futhi nincipha izivakashi noma imisebenzi yasendlini ematasa ngalesi sikhathi. I-Alzheimer’s Association iphakamisa ukunciphisa ukuvusa kusihlwa okufana ne-TV, imisebenzi yasendlini nomculo ophezulu.
• Izinto ezijwayelekile zenduduzo. I-NIA iphakamisa umculo othulisayo nokugcina izinto nezithombe ezithandwayo zihlezi ezungeze ikhaya.
• Ukuhlola induduzo. I-Alzheimer’s Association incoma ukuhlola ubuhlungu, indlala, ukoma, ukuqumba, isinye esigcwele, ukudinwa, ukusulelwa nokucasuka kwesikhumba, nokugcina igumbi lisezingeni lokushisa elinethezekile.
• Isimo senu sengqondo. Abantu bayakuzwa ukukhathazeka. I-NIA iphakamisa ukwehlisa isivinini nokuzama ukuphumula uma izinkathazo zenu zingase zingeze ingcindezi.

Yimiphi imisebenzi ethulile esingayenza ntambama ephuzile?

Khethani imisebenzi ejwayelekile, engashiyi ngokushesha futhi elula ukumisa. I-Alzheimer’s Association iphakamisa imisebenzi ethulisayo efana nomculo othulile, izithombe noma ifilimu ethandekayo, nokuhamba ndawonye ukunciphisa ukungaphumuli. I-NIA iphakamisa ukudla okuncane noma into yokuphuza, uhlelo lwe-TV oluthandekayo, umculo, uhambo, ukufunda, noma umsebenzi olula wasendlini njengokugoqa izingubo ezigeziwe.

Imibono ongayizama:

1. Goqani izingubo ezigeziwe ndawonye. I-NIA iphakamisa lolu hlobo lomsebenzi olula wasendlini. Amathawula alula ukuphatha, futhi umsebenzi unesiphetho esicacile.
2. Dlalani umculo athanda kakhulu. Izingoma ezijwayelekile zeminyaka yakhe yobusha, ngevolumu ephansi. Ukuhlokoma nakho kuyabalwa. Imibono eminye ikhasini lemisebenzi yomculo.
3. Bukani izithombe. I-albhamu yezithombe, noma izithombe ezimbalwa zomndeni emdlalweni othi Amapheya ezithombe zomndeni, zishiywe zibonakala, zingaholela engxoxweni ethulile.
4. Hambani uhambo olufushane. Ezungeze insimu, ibhlokhi noma ngaphakathi endlini, ngaphambi kokuba kube mnyama.
5. Wabelaneni ngokudla okuncane nokuphuza. Into elula, efudumele, engenakhafini, etafuleni ndawonye.
6. Ukufanisa okuthambile. Amapheya ezithombe ngamakhadi amane nezithombe zibonakala kulula ukuqala futhi kulula ukumisa.
7. Ukufaka imibala. Amakhasi okufaka imibala esikrinini noma ekhasini eliphrintiwe, ngaphandle kwenhloso yokuqeda.
8. Ukubuka nokukhuluma. Amakhadi engxoxo anikeza isithombe nesikhuthazo esivulekile. Ukubuka nje kwanele.
9. Ukuma kokuphefumula. Ukuphefumula okuthulile kuyisikhathi sokuma esihamba kancane, esithule enisiqalayo futhi nisimisa nina ngokwenu.
10. Imisebenzi yezandla. Ukuhlunga izinkinobho noma amasokisi, ukubushelelezisa ingubo ethambile, noma ukubamba into ejwayelekile. Bheka imisebenzi yemizwa.

Gwemani imidlalo emisha, uhambo olumatasa nanoma yini ecela inkumbulo noma ukugxila okuningi ekupheleni kosuku. Zibekeni ekuseni.

Ngenzenjani uma ukungaphumuli kuqala?

Hlalani nizolile, nimqinisekise, futhi nimholele kwenye into ngobumnene. I-NIA iphakamisa ukukhuluma ngokuthula, ukulalela izinkathazo zomuntu, ukugwema izimpikiswano, ukumqinisekisa ukuthi ulondekile, nokusebenzisa ukuthinta okuthambile uma kusiza. Bese nizama ukuphambukisa: ukudla okuncane, into yokuphuza, umculo noma uhambo.

I-Alzheimer’s Association iphakamisa amazwi afana nokuthi “Nilondekile lapha” no-“Ngiyaxolisa ukuthi nikhathazekile”, futhi iluleka ukwengeza ukukhanya, ukwehlisa isivinini nokunciphisa ukuvusa. Ningamcindezeli ekhoneni, ningamsondeli kakhulu noma nimphoqe, futhi ningaphikisani naye.

Uma umuntu eba nobudlova, i-NIA iluleka ukuhlala ebangeni eliphephile kuze kume lokho kuziphatha. Esimeni esiphuthumayo, shayelani inombolo yezimo eziphuthumayo yendawo yakini futhi nichaze ukuthi umuntu une-dementia.

Imihlahlandlela yethu ethi Izeluleko zokuxhumana neyethi Okufanele nikwenze uma esho ukuthi cha inamazwi amaningi athulisayo.

Ngithola kanjani izinto ezibangela?

Gcinani irekhodi elifushane isonto noma amabili. I-Alzheimer’s Association incoma ukulandelela lokho okwenzeka ngaphambi kwezigameko ze-sundowning ukuze kutholakale izinto ezibangela. Qaphelani isikhathi ukungaphumuli okuqale ngaso, okwenzeke ehoreni langaphambilini, ukulala, ukudla nokuphuza, izivakashi, umsindo nokukhanya. Lethani irekhodi kudokotela. I-NIA ithi ukulandelela izinguquko ekuziphatheni kungasiza abanakekeli nabahlinzeki bezempilo ukubona iphethini.

Ngishayela nini udokotela mayelana ne-sundowning?

Thintanani nodokotela womuntu uma ukungaphumuli kusha, kwanda ngokuzumayo, noma kuza nezinye izinguquko. I-NIA ithi izinguquko ezizumayo noma ezishintshashintshayo ngokushesha ekuziphatheni, ikakhulukazi ngemva kokusulelwa noma izinguquko zakamuva zemithi, kufanele zibikwe kudokotela ngokushesha.

Celani udokotela ahlole izinto ezingenza kusihlwa kube nzima. I-Alzheimer’s Association ikhuluma ngezinkinga zomzimba ezifana nokusulelwa endleleni yomchamo, ukuvuza komchamo (incontinence), imilenze engaphumuli (restless legs) ne-sleep apnea, futhi iphakamisa ukubuza ukuthi yiziphi izikhathi zosuku ezingcono emithini ngayinye. I-NIA ibala ubuhlungu, ukuqumba nemiphumela emibi yemithi noma ukuhlangana kwemithi phakathi kwezimbangela ezingaba khona zokukhathazeka.

I-Alzheimer’s Association ithi izindlela ezingabandakanyi imithi ngokuvamile zikhethwa kuqala ezinkingeni zokulala ezihlobene ne-Alzheimer’s, nokuthi umuthi wokukhathazeka ekupheleni kosuku kufanele ucatshangelwe kuphela uma lezo zehluleka, ngemva kokulinganisa ubungozi nenzuzo. Lowo nqumo ungokukadokotela. Ningaqali, ningayeki noma ningashintshi noma yimuphi umuthi, usizo lokulala noma isithasiselo ngaphandle kweseluleko sezokwelapha.

Ngikudlula kanjani kusihlwa mina?

Ntambama ephuzile kungaba yingxenye enzima kakhulu yosuku lomnakekeli. Uma ningakwazi, celani ilungu lomndeni, umngane noma umsizi ohlawulelwayo ukuthi athathe ntambama ephuzile izinsuku ezimbalwa ngesonto, ngisho nehora elilodwa. Umhlahlandlela wethu wokuzinakekela komnakekeli ubala izinketho zokuphumulisa abanakekeli (respite) kanye nomugqa wosizo we-dementia ezweni lakini, uma ukhona.