Seniors with dementia face several challenges navigating through the house. They tend to be anxious and confused, so they can easily misplace items around the house. It is also important to note that for people with dementia, living at home instills independence. There is a need to ensure a conducive environment by making specific changes at home. Senior Helpers serves the Richmond area, and offers tips for an organized home for better dementia care, as listed below.
1. Establishing Effective Routines
Routines bring order and organization to any house, which is vital when caring for an individual with dementia. This strategy is beneficial both to the senior and caregiver by enhancing familiarity. It will lead to mastery of daily activities, increasing the sense of security and comfort. You can build your daily routine on a chart and hang it in a commonplace within the house for easy noticeability.
2. Investing in Good House Lighting
You can consider ways of increasing natural lighting in the house during the day for the visibility of objects. The house should be arranged such that nothing blocks the light entering through the window. You also need to close the drapes at night to avoid reflections and signal that it is nighttime to help the dementia clients to get a better night's sleep.
3. Incorporate a Labeling System
Seniors would benefit from having labels around the house. Signs and tags will help them maneuver the house easily. Labels will help identify things regularly used; for instance, you can label the drawers, cabinets, doors, and even safety reminders around the house.
4. Providing Similar Flooring Around the House
Having the same floor around the house might help in avoiding tripping. You can also remove mats and focus on potential tipping points, such as areas cluttered with cables. The best flooring options to consider can be plain matte, and you should avoid shining floors since they are likely to confuse the dementia client.
5. Making Eating and Drinking Easy
Food is one of the crucial things that our bodies require. Therefore, there is a need to have utensils with color contrasts to the food. You can also incorporate a trend of packaging food in clear plastic containers for your loved ones to see what is inside without having to open the containers.
6. Set Up Equipment to Ensure Home Safety
You can equip the house with grab rails to hold onto and prevent falling. Other essential technologically-advanced items the home can have include picture phones due to their challenges in remembering phone numbers. This gadget will make it easy for them to dial on a single screen by identifying the photos of their loved ones and friends. The house can also have sensors that detect if water is left running or if the temperatures are too high or low for comfort.
7. Decluttering the House
This safety tip is essential because it ensures that the surroundings are clutter free to avoid navigation frustrations within the house. Clutter affects focus levels on various duties hence overwhelming the visceral cortex. Therefore, removing unnecessary items from the surroundings will be necessary to give them enough room to navigate the house and improve safety.
For our clients around the Richmond area and its environs, including Amelia Court House, Goochland, Louisa, and Petersburg, Senior Helpers should be your dementia care option. Contact us today and get quality in-home senior care.