Care and support - Safety - Safety in the home

It might be helpful to remove or lock up potential hazards that could be mistaken for food (e.g., medications, vitamins and herbal remedies that are expired or no longer being used). Removing items that have the potential to cause injury can also help such as hot water bottles, electric blankets, curling irons, and sharp knives.

Source: The information above was reproduced from Government of South Australia: Department for Communities and Social Inclusion. (2008). Dementia: safety in the home [Information Sheet]. South Australia: Government of South Australia.

You can create a safe outdoor environment by removing overhanging branches, clearing cluttered pathways and removing hazardous substances in garages. Ensure that your backyard is well lit for nighttime.

Source: The information above was reproduced from Government of South Australia: Department for Communities and Social Inclusion. (2008). Dementia: safety in the home [Information Sheet]. South Australia: Government of South Australia. 

Arrange for supervision when cooking and for regular support in preparing weekly meals. For example, some people living with dementia arrange for a person to come into the home once a week to assist them with the preparation of meals for the week. These prepared meals can then be refrigerated or frozen until needed. As the disease progresses, consider using a toaster oven or microwave, rather than the stove. Leave reminders for yourself like "turn off the stove". Make sure these reminders are placed where you can see them easily.

Source: The information above was reproduced from Alzheimer Society of Canada. (2003). Just for you. Toronto, Canada: Alzheimer Society of Canada. 

You may find it helpful to have a friend or relative call to remind you of when to take your medication. You can also find pill boxes or medication dossette boxes in pharmacies to help you organize your medications. They will also remind you when to take your pills.

Alternatively, you can speak with your pharmacist about using blister packs, where the pharmacist loads your medications for you with the appropriate doses. For some, timers work for alerting people with dementia when they should take their medications, but remember to put a note on the timer as a reminder of what the timer is for.

It is also a good idea to have a thorough review of all your medications to see if anything can be simplified or discontinued. This can be accomplished either by arranging an appointment directly with your community pharmacist or via the MedsCheck program.

Source: The information above was reproduced from Alzheimer Society of Canada. (2003). Just for you. Toronto, Canada: Alzheimer Society of Canada. 

You may find it helpful to have telephone numbers written in large print and posted by the telephone. Include emergency numbers as well as a description of where you live. It might also help to keep a memory book of important things with you at all times, which may contain:

• Important phone numbers, including your own and ones that may be needed in an emergency
• Family and friends' names
• A map showing where your home is
• Preprogrammed numbers on your telephone
• There are a number of personal emergency response services across Canada that lets you call for help any time of the day or night - even if you can't speak. For example, Philips Lifeline provides many personal safety solutions, such as personal help buttons worn around your neck in case of an emergency or a fall.

Source: The information above was reproduced from Alzheimer Society of Canada. (2003). Just for you. Toronto, Canada: Alzheimer Society of Canada. 

It would be a good strategy to create a plan for changes that will occur as symptoms progress over the months and years to come. Be aware of additional resources that may be needed.

Different housing and care options may be necessary to ensure continued safety and welfare. Realize that some changes require considerable pre-planning (e.g., waiting lists for assisted living and long-term care accommodations).

Create an emergency plan to prepare for crisis situations. For example, if an emergency happened to the partner in care, decide:

• Who would be contacted to assist the person living with dementia in the next three minutes so an ambulance could take the partner in care to a hospital?
• Who should be contacted in the next 3 hours so that the initial person, contacted within three minutes, could get back to their daily commitments and the person with dementia has the support they need?
• What should be done in the next three days so that a longer term solution can be found?

Ensure this information is posted in a convenient, easy-to-find location (perhaps on your refrigerator), and that copies of this plan are given to those people who are involved.

If someone comes to your door that you don't recognize, ask for their name and telephone number instead of letting them in. Then you or your family member can call them back later. It might be helpful to place chimes or bells on doors or gates to let you know if someone is arriving or leaving your house.

Source: the information above was reproduced from:

Government of South Australia: Department for Communities and Social Inclusion. (2008). Dementia: safety in the home [Information Sheet]. South Australia: Government of South Australia. 

Alzheimer Society of Canada. (2003). Just for you. Toronto, Canada: Alzheimer Society of Canada. 

• Place door and window locks in invisible or unusual places, such as at the top of doors. However, it is good to keep in mind that this can also pose a safety risk in case of fire. Therefore, if you are using locks on doors and windows, it is important to stay within close proximity of your family member to help them exit the home if there were an emergency. Portable infra-red motion detectors can be placed near doorways to let you know when your family member has left the room.
• Transmitters worn on the body can sound an alarm when the person moves beyond a certain range
• Install a door chime that sounds when a door is ajar
• Keep keys and coats out of sight and outside lights off at night to discourage your family member from going out of the house
• Keep one closet in the house locked where precious items can be stored.
• If possible, add a fence to the backyard and a lock to its gate.
• To prevent falls and tripping, move furniture away from the middle of the room and remove rocking chairs.
• Install plastic safety latches in all kitchen and bathroom cupboards that hold dangerous substances. Try to keep shampoo and other liquids out of the bathroom so they cannot be swallowed. 
• Remove the lock from the bathroom door so the person with dementia cannot get locked in
• Do not put a waste paper basket in the bathroom unless it is hidden, as it may be confused with the shape of a toilet and be used as one 
• Hide sink stoppers to avoid overflow accidents
• Leave lights on, or install more lights, to help the person feel unafraid. Consider using sensor night lights and timers on key lights around the home.
• Remove carpeting if the person is confused about where to urinate
• Install a gate or plywood to the top of the basement stairs
• Install solid handrails on both sides of the stairway
• Place plastic plugs in all electrical outlets
• Decrease the height of your family member's bed by removing the bed frame so that a fall out of bed will be less dangerous
• If your family member smokes, put a little water in all the ashtrays. As the disease progresses, and if your family members continues to smoke, they should be supervised at all times while smoking.
• Remove sharp-cornered furniture
• Distract your family member from exiting through large windows by camouflaging them with decorations
• Give away poisonous plants
• Close up the fireplace and cover hot water pipes and radiators
• Outline porch steps with bright coloured paint contrasting with the rise (to help define the edges of steps and prevent tripping)
• Install rubber treads on uncarpeted indoor and outdoor stairs
• Move a bed to the main floor of a two-storey house so that the person doesn't need to go upstairs
• Install bed and chair sensor mats which sound an alarm when pressure is removed
• If you are concerned that your family member might become locked inside the house, consider making the yard or garden secure, rather than the house

Source: the information above was reproduced from:

Government of South Australia: Department for Communities and Social Inclusion. (2008). Dementia: safety in the home [Information Sheet]. South Australia: Government of South Australia. 

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). At home with Alzheimer's disease: Useful adaptations to the home environment, 2008. All rights reserved. Reproduced with the consent of CMHC. All other uses and reproductions of this material are expressly prohibited.