Safety Guidelines For Your Home Or Alzheimer

If you or someone you love has Alzheimer's and is being cared for at home or goes to a caregiver's home for care you may be interested in reading some safety guidelines for your home...

If you or someone you love has Alzheimer’s and is being cared for at home or goes to a caregiver’s home for care you may be interested in reading some safety guidelines for your home or your caregiver’s home that will help you to keep the individual with Alzheimer’s safe. These guidelines will help you to take precautions that will help you to avoid falls or to improve mobility, make improvements regarding daily activities, manage some of the safety concerns regarding fires and wanderings as well as some general home modification tips to give you, your caregiver and the person with Alzheimer’s more peace of mind.

Many families are choosing to keep their loved one diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at home for as long as possible. This decision is made easier if guidelines are followed to keep them safe as their disease progresses. There will come a point where professional fulltime medical care will be necessary but in the meantime, you can cherish more moments with your loved one at home by following the guidelines below:

Preventing Falls:

Make sure that you have a ramp built leading to any house doors and install a stair chair or elevator for going up and down different levels of the home. Stairs account for the majority of falls leading to injuries. Alzheimer’s patients will have a decreased ability to be mobile so protecting against falls is important. It is also a good idea to install handrails in all hallways and on both sides of stairways. In the bathroom place grab bars by the toilet and in the shower/tub areas. You can also place a gate across the top of stairs. If you have a cellar or a basement install locks on the doors leading to these areas to prevent falls. Improve lighting in hallways and on stairwells as well as in all bathrooms. At night, use nightlights in bathrooms and in all hallways. Another way to avoid falls is to place non-skid strips on the stairs, or to repair or remove all carpeting on the stairs. One area that many people miss when preventing falls on stairs is to make the stairs more visible. In order to make your stairs more visible place neon strips on the edge of each step or paint the edge of each step with light paint if the stairs are dark or dark paint if the steps are light in color. Do not leave objects on the stairs.

Mobility Improvements:

Individuals with Alzheimer’s often use a walker to get around when they start having mobility issues. To avoid slips while using the walker, do not use area rugs or at least secure the rugs so they can’t move. To improve the ability to get in and out of bed, install bed rails or use a hospital bed designed for easier mobility. There are many assisting devices made to improve mobility such as walker, canes, and wheelchair that help to keep your loved one mobile longer and to encourage independence. Low furniture such as stools, and coffee tables can sometimes be difficult to see so locate them away from walkways or remove them altogether. Loose electrical cords and objects left in high traffic areas can be tripped over and pose hazards.

Improving Safety during Wanderings:

To protect your loved one when they wander make sure you fence in swimming pools, lock all exit doors, and place safety locks on all windows with safety bars across upstairs windows. Make sure that you have an identification card with next of kin contact information clearly visible and make sure your loved one has the card on them, like in a wallet or coin purse. Keep updated photographs of your loved one available in case they do become lost during wanderings. Let local police departments know that your loved one suffers from Alzheimer’s and may wander.

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