Do Seasonal Changes Affect Those Living with Dementia?

By Polly Logan, PAC Team Member and PAC Core Team Members Arnie Beresh and Steve Kavli

As the autumn season soon begins for those of us in the northern hemisphere and the weather turns colder, do you welcome the cooler temperatures or dread the arrival of winter? Are you affected by the daylight savings time change, or barely notice it?

We spoke with Arnie Beresh and Steve Kavli about these topics, and asked if their feelings about changing seasons have shifted at all since dementia came into their lives.

Arnie Beresh, who spent his career as a podiatrist and foot surgeon, is living with Early-onset Dementia. He was born and raised in Michigan, then spent thirty-five years living in Southern Virginia and enjoyed the milder climate. About five years ago, Arnie and his wife moved back to Michigan for family and health reasons, and he notices that the winter season affects him much more now.

Steve Kavli, who lives with Lewy Body Dementia, has a bit of an opposite story of climate experiences. He was born and raised in the cold winter climate of North Dakota, spent fourteen years living in Thailand as a missionary, and now makes his home in Texas. Although he looks forward to the cooler temperatures of a Texas winter, he still finds the shift into the winter season to be quite an adjustment.

Changes in Temperature

Arnie reports that the colder temperatures, ice, and snow, which he never particularly enjoyed before, also affect him more negatively now that dementia is part of the picture. Because his balance has been impacted by his cognitive change, he says he has a much harder time staying active in the winter months, when slipping on ice is a real possibility.

During the warmer months he finds it much easier to be active with walks, yard projects, or home maintenance. When the weather is particularly inclement in the winter, Arnie often prefers not to leave the house if he doesn’t absolutely have to. However, the isolation can impact his mood and function at times.

During the colder seasons, Arnie also says that he struggles with knowing how to dress appropriately for the weather. Before dementia, he said he was much less bothered by cold temperatures, but now he gets cold easily. He relies on his Alexa app to tell him the current temperature before leaving the house, and brings along several layers of clothing so that he can be as comfortable as possible.

As a contrast, Steve is able to be outside and more active during the Texas winters, when the weather is not dangerously hot. When they do receive the occasional winter ice storm, however, Steve chooses not to venture outside. He explains that Lewy Body Dementia makes it very hard for his body to regulate its temperature, so being outside when it is very hot or very cold is extremely challenging for him. The milder winters of Texas are much easier for him than the cold temperatures of a location such as North Dakota.

Changes in Time and Season

Another reason that both Arnie and Steve feel that the shift into winter is challenging for them is that there are fewer hours of daylight. Before dementia, the winter darkness would be mildly irritating for them, but now its affect is significant.

Both Arnie and Steve feel that the fewer daylight hours negatively affect their mood and their ability to get going and remain active. Both say that they tend to want to go to bed earlier when darkness comes sooner in the evening, but it does not seem to help them sleep any better.

Steve also reports that his Lewy Body Dementia causes him to struggle with executive function, so the darkness makes it harder for him to tell what time of day it is. He uses large clocks all around his house to help support him, but he still struggles in the dark winter months to keep track of time.

Daylight savings time is another issue that both Arnie and Steve feel affects them much more than it did before they were living with dementia. It used to take them just a day or two to adjust to a time change, but now Steve feels it takes him at least a week, and Arnie says it takes him about two weeks to feel regulated again.

It disturbs their inner clock and causes them more cognitive symptoms, and this seems to be true whether this is a spring or fall time change. Both Steve and Arnie expressed a strong wish for daylight savings time to be eliminated completely!

Conclusion

The autumn change of seasons and the daylight savings time change may trigger feelings of depression and reduced energy even for those living with healthy brains. For individuals living with brain change, including Steve and Arnie, the shift of seasons or time changes can cause significant distress and increased symptoms, and additional support may be required.