There are over 5.5 million people living with Alzheimer’s disease in the US, and millions more people who help to care for them. Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s can be very rewarding, but it can also be a difficult job due to memory gaps and personality shifts. There are also lots of things that a carer may provide, including helping the person with Alzheimer’s to get dressed and perform other daily tasks.
One way to make daily life easier and safer for someone with Alzheimer’s is to make sure that their home is safe, as this will reduce the risk of injuries. It will also reduce the chance of illness and asthma, especially if you make air quality a priority. In other words, it can be very beneficial to make sure that the air is clean by placing an air filter in the home. After all, the air inside the home can be even more toxic than the air outside. If you need help, here is how to create a safe home for someone with Alzheimer’s.
Make Sure That The Air Is Clean
Most people assume that the air inside their home is clean, but the Environmental Protection Agency found that the air inside your home is often dirtier than the air outside. In fact, the air can be up to 100 times more toxic! This is a serious issue for people who are over 65 as they are more susceptible to heart and lung problems. Thankfully it is easier to clean the air in the house using an air filter, and it definitely works; research found that people over 65 underwent a significant improvement in vascular function after breathing filtered air for two days. For this reason, you may want to place an air filter in the home of the person with Alzheimer’s to reduce the risk of other illnesses.
Remove Safety Hazards From The Kitchen
There are lots of safety hazards to watch out for in the kitchen, but you can remove them to make the room safer. It can be useful to remove door knobs and handles that stick out, and it can also be beneficial to replace old appliances with new ones that come with an auto shut-off feature. If the kitchen is rarely used you may want to install a circuit breaker so that the oven can’t be used, as this will significantly reduce the risk of a fire.
Prepare For Emergencies
Make sure that there is an easy-to-read list of emergency phone numbers in each room, including your number, the number for the police, the hospital and the fire departments and a number for a poison control helpline. Another way to avoid emergencies is to place candles in a safe spot, as this will reduce the risk of a fire.
You only need to take a few precautions to make the home significantly safer for someone with Alzheimer’s, and this will make their life more enjoyable and independent. It will also reduce the risk of illness or injury.
I actually think these are wise suggestion for all of us, whether we have a loved one with Alzheimer’s or not.
Throw rugs are a big danger too.
Good suggestions. Clutter is never good for any of us but really needs to be removed or organized for those loved ones with the disease.
I agree with Haralee. Keeping our homes as clutterfree and as babyproof as possible is a benefit to all, not only those suffering from alzheimers. Thank you for sharing this.
Bren
Hi Rena! Thanks for addressing the kitchen. To add to your idea about turning off the circuit breaker to the oven, consider adding a simple microwave to the kitchen. Ironically, one of the best microwave ovens for seniors with dementia or Alzheimers are the old-fashioned crank dial ones. They usually can only run for a minute or two so burning food is unlikely if they forget.
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