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20 Tips for Making Your Home Dementia Friendly

on Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Over time, people living with dementia become less able to manage around the house. We’ve compiled a list of 20 ways to make your home a safer environment for a loved one living with dementia.

People living with dementia – particularly Alzheimer’s – may not be able to see, smell, touch, hear or taste things like they used to. See below for a list of ways you can make you or your loved ones home safer:

  1. Make sure there’s adequate lighting in all rooms. Install nightlights in the bathrooms, bedrooms, hallways and near stairs.
  2. Be aware of small pets. They can be a tripping hazard.
  3. If you can, adjust the temperature of the water heater to around 45-50°c ensure that burns are avoided.
  4. Clearly label taps hot and cold to avoid confusion
  5. Install grab bars in the bath and/or shower and next to the toilet
  6. Put up signs near the oven, toaster and stove (as well as other appliances that get hot) that say Don’t Touch – Very Hot or something similar

Lock up (or remove) these potentially hazardous items:

  1. Medicines
  2. Alcohol
  3. Cleaning and other household products – matches, paint thinner etc
  4. All poisonous plants
  5. Scissors, knives and power tools
  6. Any dangerous items in the garage or garden shed

To prevent falls and other injuries, take time to make the home easy to get around:

  1. Simplify the home as much as you can. Having too much furniture can make it difficult to move around freely.
  2. Get rid of as much clutter as possible – piles of newspapers and magazines, shoes at the front door etc.
  3. If there’s stairs, make sure that have a sturdy hand rail on both sides
  4. Install carpet on any staircases, or mark the edges of each step with brightly coloured tape so they are easily seen
  5. Put a gate across the stairs
  6. Remove any small throw rugs and ensure any larger rugs are secured down properly to prevent tripping
  7. Move any electrical cords out of the way
  8. Clean up any spills etc immediately

Other handy tips:

  • Check the contents of the fridge often for expired food
  • Move things like toothpaste, lotions, shampoo, soap and perfume into a lockable cabinet. They may appear to be food to a person with dementia.
  • Check hearing aid batteries often
  • On polished wood or tile floors, install non-skid strips or ensure that shows/socks/slippers have good traction to avoid falls

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