Best Dementia-Friendly Home Ideas
A person with Dementia can find it hard to navigate through a regular home. Home modifications need to be made to support the cognitive deficit of a person with Dementia. Someone who has difficulty remembering things will find it challenging to move from one place in the home to another. They might get stuck or lost somewhere in the house. Family caregivers need to work on getting rid of barriers that may come in the way of somebody with a neurodegenerative condition. This post is all about Dementia-friendly home ideas.
Here are the best Dementia-friendly home ideas
#1 Add a bathroom to the Dementia patients room
According to a study by Johns Hopkins University, Dementia patients feel the need for a personal bathroom in their room itself. The study also urges architects and building planners to provide a provision to add a bathroom in any of the rooms in the house whenever needed.
Since you are going to be renovating your existing home, you should consider adding a bathroom to the room of your loved one with Dementia. That way they won’t have to leave their room to use every time they have to use a bathroom. This particular adjustment is more important in homes with more than one floor.
You will need to hire several professionals to complete this particular task. You will need a construction worker, a plumber, a painter, and an electrician. This is not an easy home modification that can be done by yourself.
#2 Try replacing the current floor with Dementia-friendly flooring
A person in the late stage of Alzheimer’s disease loses his/her ability to walk, says a report by Alzheimer’s Association. Even folks in the moderate stage of Dementia exhibit a lack of coordination. They stumble when they walk. Slips and falls are quite frequent.
You can help them move freely throughout the house by installing Dementia-friendly floors. The good thing is, you don’t have to buy new ones. You can modify the existing mats or rugs to make them Dementia-friendly.
I suggest securing them to the floor with some tape or glue so the person with Dementia doesn’t fall or trip by getting their feet stuck in it. If you are in a position to spend some money, consider getting a non-slip mat. You can get it online or at the nearest Costco.
#3 Get an intercom
Consider getting an intercom system if you leave a person with Dementia at home alone. Intercom systems are quite popular and a lot of people use them. I recommend getting one that is easy to use (slightly old-fashioned will do). These systems allow the person at home to interact with a visitor at the door. You can go for a wireless one if your loved one can understand and use it with ease. The wall-mounted ones are mostly wired— but easy to use for seniors with limited cognitive ability.
#4 Consider installing handrails if you have a staircase in your home
This is one of the best Dementia-friendly home ideas for informal caregivers who stay in a multi-floor house. A person with Dementia might struggle to climb up and come down the staircase with no support— nothing to lean on. They are likely to fall or trip while using the staircase all by themselves. You can make the staircase Dementia-friendly simply by installing handrails. I suggest installing handrails on both sides of the steps (if it isn’t adjacent to a wall).
#5 Get a portable ramp for the wheelchair user
A portable ramp can help a wheelchair user with Dementia get over a step with ease. A ramp designed for one step can be placed on top of the step. The wheelchair user can ride over the ramp without having to get off the chair.
Most houses have a step or elevated floor near the entrance door and the backyard door. The elevation prevents rainwater and snow from entering the home. It also serves several other purposes. You don’t have to get rid of this safety step.
Simply place a portable ramp on top of it whenever the wheelchair user wishes to step out of the home or enter in (in their wheelchair). Some portable ramps are made with lightweight material— which makes it easy for the wheelchair user to lift up and carry it to the elevated floor.
Summary
As a family caregiver, you don’t have to do it all by yourself. Home modification is not easy. In most cases, you will need help from a professional— don’t hesitate to consult one.
If you are unable to find a solution by yourself, consider consulting an occupational therapist. An occupational therapist’s role is to help individuals with limited mobility live as normal a life as possible.
You can also consult other caregivers who have overcome the situations you are facing currently. I am sure they will have a lot more Dementia-friendly home ideas to share with you.
