Living with Dementia: Making Your Home Safe
Memory conditions are common during old age, and they can leave you feeling confused and lost, which can be a dangerous combination. Fortunately, you can make changes to your home that make living with dementia much more manageable. For example, you can create locational cues to remind yourself what’s in each cupboard. For six tips for making your home dementia-friendly, continue reading.
Keep the Layout Simple
You need to make your way around the house without getting lost or misplacing items, which is a common occurrence for dementia sufferers. Therefore, avoid floor plans that resemble a maze. To get the most out of your home and avoid confusion, create a map for each room and hang it on entry points. As well as the layout, objects in the house should contrast the walls, which makes it easier to tell them apart. Further, after you’ve finished using your TV, turn it off to avoid distractions.
Declutter
If your home currently resembles a jungle of clutter, it’s time for a clear-out. Your home needs to be minimalist and simple in design. Your cupboards and drawers should be neat and arranged to the side of the room if possible.
Create Visual Reminders
Even with a simple layout, it can be difficult to remember where everything belongs. Therefore, we recommend creating some visual reminders to keep you on track. The best way to do this is by using a picture and a name, as you may struggle down the line to put a name to an object. Having reminders in place will help you to keep hold of your independence.
Flood Your Home with Light
Dementia sufferers often struggle to get around their homes safely, which is why plenty of light is an enormous help. Natural light is the best source as it doesn’t need to be turned on and off. While arranging your home, spend time to ensure nothing is blocking your windows. However, in the bedroom, you need to get a good night’s sleep – perhaps a set of smart blinds will do the trick.
Keeping Yourself Busy
Keeping active and engaged is important during old age, even when you’re suffering from dementia. However, it’s easy to lose track of time and forget to engage in activities. Therefore, we suggest getting yourself a large calendar and clock. Further, you can write down the next day’s schedule on a whiteboard to save losing scraps of paper.
Time to Move On
In some cases, making changes to your home still isn’t enough to live safely. If this is the case, it’s time to search online for memory care near me. These dedicated facilities are perfect for any dementia sufferer, as each room is designed with memory loss in mind. Further, you will be monitored through innovative technology, lettings you keep some of your independence.
Dementia can add dangerous obstacles to a person’s daily life, but that doesn’t mean everything needs to stand still. Making the above changes will help you stay safe and keep track of your activities.
