Home Safety for People with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias

When caring for an individual suffering from Alzheimer's or a related dementia, it's
important to make sure they're in a safe and supportive environment
where their needs are met and the chance of injury is low.
Creating a home that meets the dementia person's needs will not only make their
lives easier, but yours as well.

People with Alzheimer's or a related dementia often engage in wandering behavior so limit their access to the outdoors and dangerous areas inside the home.
Cover doors and locks with cloth or paint to disguise them and
install deadbolts high or low on exterior doors to make it
difficult for your loved one to wander outside. Remove locks in
bathrooms and bedrooms to ensure that he or she does not lock
themselves inside where you have no access to them. To protect
your loved one from dangerous appliances and household cleaners,
install child-proof locks and door knob covers.

As Alzheimer's progresses, vision changes and patients may not be
able to distinguish colors or be able to understand what they are
seeing. To ensure the maximum amount of visibility for your loved
one, diffuse glare and bright lights by removing any mirrors or
furniture with glass tops from the home. Put shades or blinds on
the windows and add extra lighting to entryways, stairways,
bathrooms and hallways. At night, place nightlights throughout the
home to ensure they can see if they need to get up and use the
bathroom.

Daily activities that were once familiar may become more difficult
for your loved one to do safely. Keep an eye on the temperature of
his or her food and drink because they may not be able to
distinguish the difference themselves. Install walk-in showers and
grab bars in the bathroom to allow them to move around safely and
independently. If you have rugs resting on wooden, linoleum or
tiled floors, make sure they're kept in place with adhesive to
prevent falls.

Because a person with Alzheimer's or another dementia, may not always be able to tell
the difference between fresh and rotten food, clean out your
refrigerator on a regular basis so they don't eat something that
will make them sick. Remove the knobs from your kitchen stove
burners to prevent fires and eliminate all electrical appliances
from your bathroom to reduce the risk of electrical shock. Though
these precautions may seem unnecessary and extreme, keep in mind
that an individual with Alzheimer's can forget why certain things
shouldn't be done and what is considered dangerous.

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