Up Close Publications
  • Home
  • Read Articles
    • Community
    • Education
    • Events
    • Finance
    • Food + Dining
    • Health + Beauty
    • Holidays
    • Home Improvement
    • Las Sendas Golf Club: A Closer Look
    • Local Business
    • Over 50
    • Real Estate
    • Sports
  • Events
  • Service Directory
  • Advertisers
  • Testimonials
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
CALL US AT (480) 748-1127

Up Close Publications

ad Acoya
  • Home
  • Read Articles
    • Community
    • Education
    • Events
    • Finance
    • Food + Dining
    • Health + Beauty
    • Holidays
    • Home Improvement
    • Las Sendas Golf Club: A Closer Look
    • Local Business
    • Over 50
    • Real Estate
    • Sports
  • Events
  • Service Directory
  • Advertisers
  • Testimonials
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
Local Business

Keep Seniors with Alzheimer’s Safe at Home

by Home Care Assistance Mesa April 30, 2018April 30, 2018
written by Home Care Assistance Mesa April 30, 2018April 30, 2018

Alzheimer’s may rob a person of their memories, however, it doesn’t have to rob them of the chance to remain at home.

With a number of modifications, a home can remain safe, secure and familiar for many seniors experiencing cognitive decline.

Age-friendly home improvements are important for creating a safe space for your loved one. All of this begins with a careful and thorough examination of the senior’s home.

Let’s start outside the home. Are there cracks or heaves in the sidewalk? Are there stairs leading to the front door? Does that front door have a round doorknob?

Family caregivers should repair any cracked sidewalks to reduce the risk of tripping. Stairs can prove to be difficult for seniors to climb (if not impossible). Tighten down the handrail for use by seniors to grab and pull themselves up if necessary.

Other options include installing a stairlift or building a ramp. If land is limited, remember that ramps don’t have to extend straight out. They easily can circle back on themselves.

If the home’s front door is unreachable or too costly to access, perhaps another door can be considered as a point of entry. For seniors with or without Alzheimer’s disease, round doorknobs can be difficult to both grab and turn. An easy fix is to replace the round doorknob with a lever, which can easily be pressed down to open the door.

How to Make a Home Safe for Seniors 

Upon entering the home, someone with Alzheimer’s will need a more open layout. Excess clutter can be risky and can cause further confusion. Remove unnecessary furniture. Consider the style of furniture, as well. Someone with Alzheimer’s can become weaker and may not have the physical strength to lift themselves out of a comfortable couch.

Hide away any extension cords, which may be stretched across a room, as these can become tripping hazards. Scrutinize any old carpeting, which may be peeling off the floor. Glue this back down, or remove the carpeting entirely. On that same subject, pull out any throw rugs, which may slide when an unsteady senior walks over them and cause the individual to tumble.

Kitchen Designs for Alzheimer’s

Moving to the kitchen, family caregivers can better ensure a senior’s safety by routinely cleaning out the refrigerator and cupboards. Stored food often has an expiration date and will spoil if kept too long. Depending on how advanced the senior’s Alzheimer’s disease is, family caregivers also can turn off the oven/stove, either by turning off the breaker, unplugging the appliance or removing any control knobs. Visiting family caregivers can bring prepared food or easily distract a senior long enough to turn the oven/stove back on to cook a meal. Family caregivers also could color-code the water controls for the kitchen sink. Use red for hot and blue for cold.

Designing a Senior-Friendly Bathroom

The bathroom is the most used room in any house and, as such, deserves the most attention. Grab bars placed in strategic locations throughout the bathroom, namely, beside the bathtub or shower and toilet, can be very helpful. A raised toilet seat, a walk-in tub, a handheld shower nozzle and a shower chair can all make things easier for seniors with Alzheimer’s disease.

Family caregivers could consider removing the bathroom mirror, as well. A senior with advanced Alzheimer’s disease may not recognize himself in the glass and be startled or frightened when seeing an intruder.

Home Designs for Longevity

Other tips on how to remodel your home for senior safety include installing more lights to brighten up any dark hallways or rooms, painting interior stair lips a different color to differentiate steps from each other, installing deadbolt lockers near the top or base of doors to make them not as visible and reachable, and/or hiding away sharp knives and any potentially hazardous materials.

With some careful preplanning and ongoing monitoring by family caregivers, a senior with Alzheimer’s disease can continue living safely at home.

If you need support caring for a loved one suffering from dementia or any other cognitive decline, call us. Our trained caregivers can provide support to fit your schedule and provide you with peace of mind. We understand aging and we can help your loved one age in a healthy manner. Caregivers at Home Care Assistance are available for daily and hourly respite care for your loved one to help you protect your health and focus on yourself, too.

To see how our caregivers can help your loved one thrive, contact Certified Dementia Practitioner Amanda Butas, your Mesa client care manager, at (480) 699-4899. You also can visit us at our office next to Bed Bath and Beyond, located on Power and McKellips roads, at 2031 N. Power Road, Suite 103.

 

0 comment
0
FacebookTwitterPinterest
previous post
Step Back in Time to Keep History Alive
next post
District debuts drone activity in ongoing partnership with Boeing

Related Articles

Arthritic Pain Points in Seniors Can Be Reduced

July 1, 2020

Canyon Winds awarded Best of Mesa

May 2, 2020

Doves senior care promotes client safety through communication

October 30, 2019

How Medicare Advantage Might Pay for In-Home Care

September 1, 2019

Many Details Are Associated with Long-Term Care Insurance

February 28, 2019

Choose Your Words and Actions Carefully After Your...

February 1, 2019

Consider the Pros and Cons of Assisted Living...

December 28, 2018

If You Are Living in Denial About Dementia,...

September 2, 2018

Know These Six Things About Mental Illness in...

November 2, 2017

There Are Ways to Help Stroke Survivors Regain...

June 30, 2017

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Read Print Issue Now

find us on social media

Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest

Trending Articles

  • Mesa Citizen of the Year Association Honors Students for Exceptional Service and Lifelong Impact

  • Curiosity, Geometry, and Arts and The Shaping of The Future

  • So, What Kind of Music Do You Like?

  • Xoxo Charcuterie Mesa is aone stop solution for great events

  • Getting Off theLong, Uphill Bicycle Ride

Read PDF Editions





GET IN TOUCH

Kim Phillips
Publisher
(480) 748-1127
publisher@phillipswest.com

 


 
Monica Adair
Advertising Representative
(480) 772-1949
monica@goupclose.com

Email Us



    Sign up for our newsletter



      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • Instagram
      • Pinterest
      • Advertise
      • Contact Us
      • About Us

      Ⓒ 2020 Phillips West Publishing | Website by Rangefinder Studios