How to keep your loved ones with Alzheimer’s comfortable at home?

Home safety for dementia patients; Those who take the responsibility to look after their loved ones suffering from Alzheimer’s can find it to be draining task. However, caregivers can simplify this process by doing some minor changes in the furniture, fixtures & the atmosphere around them. Such basic adjustments can accentuate caregivers’ stamina to overcome their limitations. These changes & alterations can help the patients to feel more relaxed, comfortable & confident.

Necessary changes in the home environment to provide comfort to Alzheimer seniors

Given below are some of the suggested changes & adjustments that will make an Alzheimer senior feel more comfortable:

Interior & Fixture Changes in Surrounding:

1. The house needs to be well lit & ventilated. Things like shadow & sundowning should be avoided. Such changes help in dealing with perceptual difficulties faced by Alzheimer's seniors.
2. Any scattered rugs & fabrics should be removed from the floors. As these items can be a cause for falling down. Also, the walls should be painted in solid colors. Patterns on the walls & floors can be quite confusing & distracting for the patients.
3. Important spots like toilet & washbasin need to be of light color. The wall behind such spots needs to be painted using solid colors to make them stand out for clear sight.
4. In addition to this, the seat cover in the toilet needs to be a colored one to make the patient understand precisely where they are required to sit or aim.
5. You can use multiple prominent signs in the house towards the necessary spots. Like bold letter signage with an arrow on the wall will be of great help. It will make them feel independent & confident at the same time. Also, life for the caregivers will be a little easy.

Atmospheric Changes

1. Try to keep minimum noise distractions in their surroundings. Having a lot of noise can be very much confusing as well as overwhelming for the patients.
2. Visual markers will be of great help. For instance, marking the socks or shoe drawer.
3. The early stages of the disease affect the language of the patient thus caregivers must avoid naming labels with complex words.
4. For food consumption, plates can be used of bold red color to create visual contrast & enhanced appetite.
5. Try to mask the exit doors & big windows using similar colored wallpapers or big curtains. This will reduce the risk of them leaving the safe zone without the knowledge of the caregivers.
6. For patients hallucinating & sensing the presence of people who are not around, mirrors & pictures from their accessible vicinity should be removed. This shall help in the reduced extent of hallucination.

Generic Guidelines

The caregiver needs to understand that even simple & routine household items such as dish soap, shampoo & laundry detergent can be deadly if consumed. Your loved ones with Alzheimer’s have already lost their ability to protect themselves. Here, it is likely to happen that unattended access to these things can be harmful. Hence, the caregiver needs to look around cautiously for all such objects & make the surroundings safer for the patient.

An EndNote

Every caregiver feels exhausted & discouraged at some or another point in time. In such a situation, alterations in the home environment using these tricks will make things relatively smooth & safe for the patients. These tricks can prove to be a great help in keeping the home atmosphere positive & safe. It will help caregivers & patients to improve their quality of life & reduce stress. Also, the patients will feel much more relaxed, sorted & positive.

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