SAFETY IN AND AROUND THE HOME

  • Help them to be as happy and independent as possible by creating a safe and familiar environment

  • Routines are important for a person with dementia

  • The home environment should help them know where they are and help them find where they want to go

  • Any changes in the environment may add to confusion and disorientation

The disease can cause brain changes to:

Judgment: Forgetting how to use household appliances

Sense of time and place: Getting lost on one's own street

Behavior: Becoming easily confused, suspicious or fearful

Physical ability: Having trouble with balance

Senses: Experiencing changes in vision, hearing, sensitivity to temperatures or depth perception

Home Safety Checklist

  • Evaluate your environment.

    • Pay special attention to garages, workrooms, basements and outside areas where there are more likely to be tools, chemicals, cleaning supplies and other items that may require supervision.

    • Keep poisonous chemicals such as gasoline, spray paint and paint thinner out of reach.

    • Install a garage door safety sensor.

  • Avoid safety hazards in the kitchen.

    • Consider removing the knobs.

    • Use appliances that have an auto shut-off feature.

    • Keep them away from water sources such as sinks.

    • Remove decorative fruits, sugar substitutes and seasonings from the table and counters.

    • Keep knives and sharp items in a locked drawer or cabinet

  • Be prepared for emergencies. Keep a list of emergency phone numbers and addresses for local police and fire departments, hospitals and poison control helplines.

  • Install locks out of sight. Place deadbolts either high or low on exterior doors to make it difficult for the person to wander out of the house. Keep an extra set of keys hidden near the door for easy access. Remove locks in bathrooms or bedrooms so the person cannot get locked inside.

  • Keep walkways well-lit.

    • Add extra lights to entries, doorways, stairways, areas between rooms, and bathrooms.

    • Use night lights in hallways, bedrooms, and bathrooms to prevent accidents and reduce disorientation.

    • Inexpensive, peel and stick, motion-activated lights are now available

  • Remove and disable guns or other weapons. The presence of a weapon in the home of a person with dementia may lead to unexpected danger. Dementia can cause a person to mistakenly believe that a familiar caregiver is an intruder.

Watch Video on Guns in the Home:

  • Place medications in a locked drawer or cabinet. To help ensure that medications are taken safely, use a pillbox organizer or keep a daily list and check off each medication as it is taken.

  • Example of lockable electronic pill dispenser: Alarm beeps and pills are dispensed at scheduled times

  • Remove tripping hazards. Keep floors and other surfaces clutter-free. Remove objects such as magazine racks, coffee tables, and floor lamps.

  • Watch the temperature of water and food. It may be difficult for a person with dementia to tell the difference between hot and cold. Consider turning down the hot water heater, so the water is not as hot.

  • Avoid injury in the bathroom.

    • Install walk-in showers.

    • Add grab bars to the shower or tub and at the edge of the vanity to allow for independent, safe movement.

    • Add textured stickers to slippery surfaces.

    • Apply adhesives to keep throw rugs and carpeting in place, or remove rugs completely.

  • Improve laundry room safety. Secure and lock all cleaning products such as detergent, liquid laundry “pacs” and bleach. If possible, keep the door to this room locked.

Watch Video on Home Safety:

Support the person's needs. Try not to create a home that feels too restrictive.

The home should encourage independence and social interaction. Clear areas for activities.

Creating a Safe Environment

This also means making sure you as the caregiver are safe.

It is not uncommon for people with dementia or Alzheimer's to be sexually inappropriate. It can be stressful for you as the caregiver.

Altering the Environment can Change Behavior

Maybe you need to hide or lock things to prevent access to an area, like cleaning supplies in a closet or candy in the pantry.

Maybe you need to accentuate an area to help the person find what they need, like putting the picture of a toilet on the bathroom door or removing doors so the person knows what room it is.

You can put bright colored tape around a light switch cover to help the person find the switch or put labels or photos on cabinet doors to show what is inside.

Use nightlights at night so they know it is nighttime instead of leaving bright overhead lights on.

Keep the environment simple, clean, and clutter-free.

💡 Tip Sheet

A Safe Environment is Important for Both the Senior and the Caregiver, Alzheimer’s can Cause Changes to the Brain and Affect Both Physical and Mental Capacities, Create a Home Safety Checklist, Altering Environment can Change Behavior