Alzheimer's Disease and Home Safety

Alzheimer's Disease and Home Safety: An Introduction

Caring for a person with Alzheimer's disease is a challenge that calls upon the patience, creativity, knowledge, and skills of each caregiver.

 

Alzheimer's Disease and Home Safety: General Safety Concerns

People with Alzheimer's disease become increasingly unable to take care of themselves. However, individuals will move through the disease in their own unique manner. As a caregiver, you face the ongoing challenge of adapting to each change in the person's behavior and functioning. The following general principles may be helpful.

 

• Think prevention: It is very difficult to predict what a person with Alzheimer's disease might do. Just because something has not yet occurred, does not mean it should not be cause for concern. Even with the best-laid plans, accidents can happen. Therefore, checking the safety of your home will help you take control of some of the potential problems that may create hazardous situations.

 

• Adapt the environment: It is more effective to change the environment than to change most behaviors. While some Alzheimer's disease behaviors can be managed with special medications prescribed by a doctor, many cannot. You can make changes in an environment to decrease the hazards and stressors that accompany these behavioral and functional changes.

 

• Minimize danger: By minimizing danger, you can maximize independence. A safe environment can be a less restrictive environment where the person with Alzheimer's disease can experience increased security and more mobility.