Dementia: staying safe at home

Posted on 15 April 2015

For people with dementia, everyday life can be confusing and disorienting – even dangerous at times. Use these simple tips to keep your loved one safe from harm.

Dementia can be one of the most frightening – and heartbreaking – of medical conditions. Broadly speaking, it encompasses a wide range of brain diseases that cause a long-term decrease in a person’s ability to think and remember. For the patient – and the people around the patient – it can present significant challenges. That’s no understatement: dementia can affect every aspect of a person’s life – from when they wake up confused in the morning to when they go to bed anxious at night. Things that used to be easy and familiar can become difficult and disorienting.

But there are workarounds and ways to help keep people with dementia safe in their own homes. Sadly, it’s often a case of keeping them safe from themselves.

One of the most common things to do is to keep the person’s car keys away from them. A person with dementia might still be able to drive, but their condition might cause them to get lost and be unable to find their way home again. By keeping the car keys out of sight, you’re taking a step to prevent that from happening. And really, this is all about prevention. A person with dementia who enjoys going out for walks should always be accompanied by someone else – and if they’re prone to going walkabout unaccompanied, it may be worth installing alarms on the doors and windows to the house.

Another useful way of dealing with dementia is to keep a daily journal. Dementia includes memory-robbing conditions like Alzheimer’s, and a diary in which the person writes down their experiences to process their challenges can develop a simple (but powerful) daily routine. Routine and structure are key. In a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers at the University of Florida found that elderly people who did regular chores and ran errands were less likely to experience mental decline as they aged.

Finally, caregivers and loved ones should ensure that the home is safe. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the leading cause of injury-related deaths for elderly people is falls. Furthermore, states the CDC, people with dementia are especially at risk. So make sure that the person’s home is well lit and that walking paths inside the home are kept clear. Keep important objects – water, glasses, a phone – by the bedside so they’re easy to access. And set up a place – maybe the fridge, or a spot on the bedroom wall – where they can find notes and reminders.

By keeping things simple, you’ll reduce the risk of the person getting confused or disoriented… or badly hurt.

The information provided in this article was correct at the time of publishing. At Mediclinic we endeavour to provide our patients and readers with accurate and reliable information, which is why we continually review and update our content. However, due to the dynamic nature of clinical information and medicine, some information may from time to time become outdated prior to revision.