People with dementia can be safe at home, depending on their dementia, environment and support. This article gives some ideas about how to adjust the environment for a person with dementia.
- Make it clear where things are – in modern kitchens fridges and other white goods are often hidden behind plain doors. Either take the doors off or use labels or photographs to make it clear where the items are
- Cooking and baking smells are important as it provides a unique identity to the kitchen and encourages people with dementia to eat.
- Glass jars for tea and coffee and clear fronted cookers can help make these items easy to identify.
- Open shelving is an alternative, as is glass fronted cupboards and fridge, to entice people to eat what is in there. It also lets you check at a glance if things are being eaten.
- Label hot and cold taps clearly
- Is the person safe to use the cooker? Is there any assistive technology that could help?
- Table settings can prompt people to eat. Using heavier plates with a lip around the edge are less likely to slip or spill.
- Ceramic or porcelain mugs, ideally with larger handles, make drinking more pleasurable.
- Locating the bedroom door – labels, pictures or photographs or painting the door a contrasting colour
- Make the bed visible – the person should be able to see their bed easily and access it from both sides if possible.
- Ideally the bed should be visible from the toilet area so if the person wakes up in the night they know where to go and where to return to.
- Mirrors – can make people anxious and frightened if they don’t recognise the person in front of them. The reflections can also be disorienting. May be best to cover them or remove them.
- Little touches – an analogue clock can help with wondering and can reassure people it isn’t time to get up yet. Personal items can make people feel comfortable and safe.
Toilets and bathrooms
- Make sure there is a bar of soap a different colour to the sink on, as even this subtle change can prompt a person to wash their hands.
- Make sure the thermostat for hot water is not set too high, in order to prevent scalding.
- Use a special bath plug that allows water to drain away if the bath gets too full.
- Provide handrails, bath seats and nonslip bath mats, ideally in contrasting colours
- Showers should be level to access and have controls that are easy to use.
- Cisterns should be traditional in appearance: push-button designs are relatively new in the UK and an older person may search around for a lever flush
Information adapted from SCIE Dementia Gateway and other sources. Copyright remains with them.