Alzheimer's Disease: Home Safety Information (cont.)
Home Safety Behavior-By-BehaviorAlthough a number of behavior and sensory
problems may accompany Alzheimer's disease, not every person will experience the
disease in exactly the same way. As the disease progresses, particular
behavioral changes can create safety problems. The person with Alzheimer's
disease may or may not
have these symptoms. However, should these behaviors occur, the following safety
recommendations may help reduce risks.
Wandering
- Remove clutter and clear the pathways from room to room to allow the
person with Alzheimer's disease to move about more freely.
- Make sure floors provide good traction for walking or pacing. Use
nonskid floor wax or leave floors unpolished. Secure all rug edges,
eliminate throw rugs, or install nonskid strips. The person with Alzheimer's
disease should
wear nonskid shoes or sneakers.
- Place locks on exit doors high or low on the door out of direct sight.
Consider double locks that require a key. Keep a key for yourself and hide
one near the door for emergency exit purposes.
- Use loosely fitting doorknob covers so that the cover turns instead of
the actual knob. Due to the potential hazard they could cause if an
emergency exit is needed, locked doors and doorknob covers should be used
only when a caregiver is present.
- Install safety devices found in hardware stores to limit the distance
that windows can be opened.
- If possible, secure the yard with fencing and a locked gate. Use door
alarms such as loose bells above the door or devices that ring when the
doorknob is touched or the door is opened.
- Divert the attention of the person with Alzheimer's disease away from using the door by
placing small scenic posters on the door; placing removable gates, curtains,
or brightly colored streamers across the door; or wallpapering the door to
match any adjoining walls.
- Place STOP, DO NOT ENTER, or CLOSED signs in strategic areas on doors.
- Reduce clues that symbolize departure such as shoes, keys, suitcases,
coats, or hats.
- Obtain a medical identification bracelet for the person with Alzheimer's
disease with the
words "memory loss" inscribed along with an emergency telephone number.
Place the bracelet on the person's dominant hand to limit the possibility of
removal, or solder the bracelet closed. Check with the local Alzheimer's
Association about the Safe Return program.
- Place labels in garments to aid in identification.
- Keep an article of the person's worn, unwashed clothing in a plastic bag
to aid in finding someone with the use of dogs.
- Notify neighbors of the person's potential to wander or become lost.
Alert them to contact you or the police immediately if the individual is
seen alone and on the move.
- Give local police, neighbors, and relatives a recent picture, along with
the name and pertinent information about the person with Alzheimer's disease, as a precaution
should he or she become lost. Keep extra pictures on hand.
- Consider making an up-to-date home video of the person with Alzheimer's
disease.
- Do not leave a person with Alzheimer's disease who has a history of wandering unattended.
Rummaging/Hiding Things
- Lock up all dangerous or toxic products, or place them out of the
person's reach.
- Remove all old or spoiled food from the refrigerator and cupboards. A
person with Alzheimer's disease may rummage for snacks but may lack the judgment or taste to
rule out spoiled foods.
- Simplify the environment by removing clutter or valuable items that
could be misplaced, lost, or hidden by the person with Alzheimer's disease. These include
important papers, checkbooks, charge cards, and jewelry.
- If your yard has a fence with a locked gate, place the mailbox outside
the gate. People with Alzheimer's disease often hide, lose, or throw away mail. If this is a
serious problem, consider obtaining a post office box.
- Create a special place for the person with Alzheimer's disease to rummage freely or sort
(for example, a chest of drawers, a bag of selected objects, or a basket of
clothing to fold or unfold). Often, safety problems occur when the person
with Alzheimer's disease becomes bored or does not know what to do.
- Provide the person with Alzheimer's disease a safe box, treasure chest, or cupboard to
store special objects.
- Close access to unused rooms, thereby limiting the opportunity for
rummaging and hiding things.
- Search the house periodically to discover hiding places. Once found,
these hiding places can be discreetly and frequently checked.
- Keep all trashcans covered or out of sight. The person with Alzheimer's
disease may not
remember the purpose of the container or may rummage through it.
- Check trash containers before emptying them in case something has been
hidden there or accidentally thrown away.
Hallucinations, Illusions, and Delusions
Due to the complex changes occurring in the brain, people with Alzheimer's
disease may see or
hear things that have no basis in reality.
Hallucinations come from within the
brain and involve hearing, seeing, or feeling things that are not really there.
For example, a person with Alzheimer's disease may see children playing in the living room when
no children exist.
Illusions differ from hallucinations because the person with
Alzheimer's disease is misinterpreting something that actually does exist. Shadows on the wall
may look like people, for example.
Delusions are persistent thoughts that the
person with Alzheimer's disease believes are true but in reality, are not. Often, stealing is
suspected, for example, but cannot be verified.
It is important to seek medical evaluation if a person with Alzheimer's
disease has ongoing
disturbing hallucinations, illusions, or delusions. Often, these symptoms can be
treated with medication or behavior management techniques. With all of the above
symptoms, the following environmental adaptations also may be helpful.
- Paint walls a light color to reflect more light. Use solid colors, which
are less confusing to an impaired person than a patterned wall. Large, bold
prints (for example, florals in wallpaper or drapes) may cause confusing
illusions.
- Make sure there is adequate lighting, and keep extra bulbs handy in a
secured place. Dimly lit areas may produce confusing shadows or difficulty
with interpreting everyday objects.
- Reduce glare by using soft light or frosted bulbs, partially closing
blinds or curtains, and maintaining adequate globes or shades on light
fixtures.
- Remove or cover mirrors if they cause the person with Alzheimer's
disease to become
confused or frightened.
- Ask if the person can point to a specific area that is producing
confusion. Perhaps one particular aspect of the environment is being
misinterpreted.
- Vary the home environment as little as possible to minimize the
potential for visual confusion. Keep furniture in the same place.
- Avoid violent or disturbing television programs. The person with
Alzheimer's disease may
believe the story is real.
- Do not confront the person with Alzheimer's disease who becomes aggressive. Withdraw and
make sure you have access to an exit as needed.
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