With 80% of people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias living in their homes (CDC), creating a dementia-friendly environment can make a huge difference. Dementia can impact memory, reasoning, senses, and mobility, so adapting the living space can help make daily life safer, easier, and less confusing. Here are some tips for creating a dementia-friendly home.
Clear Pathways
Rodney is a “hoarder.” From teetering piles of magazines to overstuffed boxes, narrow were the footpaths through his apartment. It wasn’t as much of an issue when he was thinking clearly, but the onset of dementia made it more problematic. Slowly, with a caregiver’s encouragement and help, safer traffic patterns were created.
Naturally, we all seek the most direct route when walking through our homes. But sometimes furniture or accessory pieces disrupt direct paths. Since dementia can make it difficult to process information and navigate spaces, this can pose a problem for Alzheimer’s patients with mobility or vision issues. Creating clear pathways by rearranging furniture and relocating (or removing) floor vases, statues, boxes, etc., helps reduce disruption and fall risks.
Other considerations for furniture placement include natural light and the location of electrical outlets. We are drawn to sunny spaces so a favorite chair near windows is a good choice, especially for reading. Positioning lamps as close as possible to electrical outlets minimizes exposed electrical cords which can be a tripping hazard. This is particularly important in “open” floorplans with the electrical outlets in the floor.
Lighting
Karlisa, who cares for her mother with dementia, says her mother has “tunnel vision’ (like looking through a tube) which is especially problematic in low light conditions. Proper lighting is important for seniors generally and crucial for those with dementia, as vision issues can increase confusion. Maximize natural light by keeping curtains and blinds open during the day. Since window screens can block 40% of the sunlight, removing those screens, especially in winter, is wise. It’s also important to trim trees and bushes which can block daylight.
Hallways, stairs, walk-in closets, bathrooms, and garages are notoriously dark areas in homes. Adequate electrical lights with bright light bulbs help illuminate these areas where falls are more likely. Also, motion sensor lights which turn on automatically are a good choice for closets, hallways and bathrooms.
Shadows can be confusing and easily misinterpreted by individuals with dementia. Therefore, one goal is to even out lighting to minimize shadows. Task lighting, such as under kitchen cabinets, can also overcome dim conditions. Light-colored walls and ceilings help brighten a room but avoid paints with a glossy sheen because of reflections. Matte or flat finishes are best. Read more: Lighting For Seniors: Making a Remarkable Difference.
Simplify
The number and placement of mirrors is important in creating a dementia-friendly home. Mirrors can cause disorientation and elder dementia sufferers may not recognize their older selves. It is advisable to limit the presence of mirrors, perhaps just to the bathroom.
However, cherished items are comforting to those with dementia. BrainXchange suggests displaying photos, artwork, and other belongings along with personal interests that evoke happy memories in their Wayfinding Report. Also, music is one of our strongest memories. Whether music is played through the phone, TV, or a radio, ready access to that music source will encourage a trip down memory lane. Even when Liz, who had Alzheimer’s, no longer recognized her family or caregivers, she enjoyed and would sing along with the music she grew up with.
A word of caution – some of the recent AI devices used to play music such as Alexa which also “talk” to us can cause confusion and even paranoia among people with Alzheimer’s.
People with dementia can feel overwhelmed by too much visual stimulation. Calm solid colors and simple patterns that are easy on the eyes are best. Avoid busy wallpaper or floor coverings that could cause visual confusion. However, contrasting colors are great for cabinet hardware, door handles and light switches, helping those stand out.
Storage/Labeling
Clutter can be disheartening to anyone and upsetting to someone with Alzheimer’s. Therefore, clearing away excess items can create a more serene environment. When it comes to storage, clear containers are a good choice as they make it easier to recognize what’s inside.
Sunlight’s Rebekkah Murphy pointed out the importance of labeling everything for ease of recognition. “I have seen some families use a label printer and sticky notes reinforced with tape on cabinets and drawers. In the kitchen, labels could include silverware, canned foods, coffee and sugar, plates and bowls, etc. In the bathroom you could do medicine cabinet, toilet paper, razors/lotions, towels and so on.
Flooring
Liz would freeze in place when she came to where her carpeted living room met her vinyl flooring. It was confusing to her. Her bathroom tile floor had a pattern with one small contrasting tile repeated every so often. Thinking those contrasting tiles were something that had dropped, Liz would sometimes bend over and try to pick them up.
Other people have reported that transitions between flooring materials, especially when there’s a significant color contrast, can be interpreted as a change in the floor level or even suggest there’s a step there. A dark rug can be perceived as a hole in the floor, and Alzheimer’s sufferers may try to step over it or go around it. Shiny tile bathroom floors may appear to be wet.
As you can see, flooring is a significant issue. There are numerous choices of non-slip flooring products, and care in minimizing color changes will make any transitions easier for someone with Alzheimer’s, if there’s a budget for replacing flooring.
Additional Safety Measures
Safety should be the top priority when dementia-proofing a home.
- Installing grab bars in bathrooms and handrails on both sides of stairs can prevent falls.
- Remove any loose rugs that could cause tripping.
- Families of some of our dementia clients have disabled the stove after learning it had been left on and forgotten, posing a fire hazard.
- After finding her husband had wandered to the end of their street after midnight, another of our clients had different locks installed on all of the exterior doors.
- If there are potentially dangerous items in the home – anything from power tools to guns – such items need to be removed or secured to avoid potential harm.
Finally, we talked with one family which had previously reversed the bathroom’s door to swing out into the room rather than inward. They feared their mother could fall in that smaller bathroom and would block the door from opening inward. But they discovered that their mother was thinking that door was always locked because unlike all the other doors in the home, it wouldn’t open inward.
At Sunlight Senior Care, one of the aspects of our free in-home care assessment is performing a home safety audit. For clients with an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, these issues merit special attention and discussion. We cover related issues as well. For example, attire. An individual with dementia may be headed to the back patio inappropriately dressed for the weather. At the time of the assessment, we seek approval from the client and family that they want the caregiver to advise on appropriate clothing or possibly redirect the client to another activity.
Creating a dementia-friendly home requires some adjustments, but it’s worth the effort to help your or your loved one feel calm, safe, and oriented. With a plan and some simple modifications, it’s possible to create a safe, accessible, familiar environment that promotes independence while minimizing confusion and fall risks for those with dementia.
