The tips and tricks in this guide are easy to implement, but you don’t have to be an expert caretaker. You can make your home Alzheimer’s friendly without needing to toiling over legal documents or hiring expensive caregivers. New Horizon Counseling Center has put together some tips to help make your loved one’s life a little easier.
How To Make Your Home Alzheimer’s Friendly
1. Add extra lighting.
If your loved one suffers from memory problems, they might not remember their way around the house. Add more lighting in hallways, bathrooms, and bedrooms, so your family member does not get lost. It’s also good for alerting them to unusual sounds at night, so you don’t have to worry about wandering aimlessly when they hear something unexpected.
2. Use safety-proof nails and hooks on cabinets and closets.
If your loved one becomes confused by open spaces and gaps or is anxious about heights, use safety-proof nails and hooks in the bathrooms to prevent falls and accidents. New Horizon Counseling Center also suggests taping down light switches in the cabinets and closets to prevent your loved one from being startled by what they might think is an intruder lurking in their space.
3. Add a few low-key decorations around the house.
Simple things like putting up family photos, pets, or plants around the house can help calm your family members when they feel anxious. It can also help them remember you and the connection you share while they are lost in thought or wandering through their mind.
4. Keep everything organized and easy to find.
If your family member has trouble remembering where their keys might be, bring them out of their pocket during the day to see where they are and ensure they are not left behind somewhere in the house. Also, keep your family member’s medication in place so that finding it is not difficult when they are disoriented with memory loss or confusion.
5. Make reminders on mirrors and around the house to help recognize familiar features such as furniture, paintings, and even pets or plants.
The mirrors also work well if you have a problem with your loved one wandering off and getting lost.
6. Keep your family member’s schedules consistent and everyday activities the same as much as possible.
Keep the morning routine very structured, such as always making breakfast the same way and at the same time every day. It can help your loved one feel more comfortable and safe while they wait to see how other days will turn out. It is also a good idea to take a family photograph every day to capture a building memory of your love and laughter together throughout the journey of life.
New Horizon Counseling Center can help make your home Alzheimer’s friendly, but it is not easy. You shouldn’t try to do the impossible yourself, but with the help of a professional, you can make life easier for your loved ones and still ensure that they will be living a good life when they are no longer here with you. New Horizon Counseling Center can help you with everything from legal documents and caregiver interviews to creating a daily living plan and providing expert advice on activities such as art, music, and crafts.
