Alzheimer's Disease: Home Safety Information (cont.)
Throughout the Home
- Display emergency numbers and your home address near all telephones.
- Use an answering machine when you cannot answer phone calls, and set it
to turn on after the fewest number of rings possible. A person with
Alzheimer's disease often
may be unable to take messages or could become a victim of telephone
exploitation. Turn ringers on low to avoid distraction and confusion. Put
all portable and cell phones and equipment in a safe place so that they will
not be easily lost.
- Install smoke alarms near all bedrooms and carbon monoxide detectors in
appropriate places; check their functioning and batteries frequently.
- Avoid the use of flammable and volatile compounds near gas water
heaters. Do not store these materials in an area where a gas pilot light is
used.
- Install secure locks on all outside doors and windows.
- Hide a spare house key outside in case the person with Alzheimer's
disease locks you out
of the house.
- Avoid the use of extension cords if possible by placing lamps and
appliances close to electrical outlets. Tack extension cords to the
baseboards of a room to avoid tripping.
- Cover unused outlets with childproof plugs.
- Place red tape around floor vents, radiators, and other heating devices
to deter the person with Alzheimer's disease from standing on or touching a hot grid.
- Check all rooms for adequate lighting.
- Place light switches at the top and the bottom of stairs.
- Stairways should have at least one handrail that extends beyond the
first and last steps. If possible, stairways should be carpeted or have
safety grip strips.
- Keep all medications (prescription and over-the-counter) locked. Each
bottle of prescription medicine should be clearly labeled with the patient's
name, name of the drug, drug strength, dosage frequency, and expiration
date. Child-resistant caps are available if needed.
- Keep all alcohol in a locked cabinet or out of reach of the person with
Alzheimer's disease. Drinking alcohol can increase confusion.
- If smoking is permitted, monitor the person with Alzheimer's disease while he or she is
smoking. Remove matches, lighters, ashtrays, cigarettes, and other means of
smoking from view. This reduces potential fire hazards, and with these
reminders out of sight, the person may forget the desire to smoke.
- Avoid clutter, which can create confusion and danger. Throw out/recycle
newspapers and magazines regularly. Keep all walk areas free of furniture.
- Keep plastic bags out of reach. A person with
Alzheimer's disease may choke or suffocate.
- Remove all guns or other weapons from the home, or safety proof them by
installing safety locks or by removing ammunition and firing pins.
- Lock all power tools and machinery in the garage, workroom, or basement.
- Remove all poisonous plants from the home. Check with local nurseries or
poison control centers for a list of poisonous plants.
- Make sure all computer equipment and accessories, including electrical
cords, are kept out of the way. If valuable documents or materials are
stored on a home computer, protect the files with passwords. Password
protect access to the Internet also, and restrict the amount of online time
without supervision. Consider monitoring the person with Alzheimer's disease computer use,
and installing software that screens for objectionable or offensive material
on the Internet.
- Keep fish tanks out of reach. The combination of glass, water,
electrical pumps, and potentially poisonous aquatic life could be harmful to
a curious person with Alzheimer's disease.
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