At Carers2u, we understand the importance of being in familiar, comfortable and dementia-friendly surroundings after a diagnosis. Whereas some cases may need specialist residential care, our experienced team are specially trained in empathetic, effective dementia care. We can help you maintain an independent lifestyle, with a little assistance.
Take a look at our top ten tips for making your home dementia-friendly below… Introduce these changes gradually, as familiarity is key here. Talk to your loved one and make sure they are happy and comfortable with the changes and get their input as to their personal preferences.
Create a dementia-friendly environment
1. De-clutter
Clutter can be a potential trip hazard, and having large amounts of different items jumbled together can be a source of confusion to a resident living with dementia. Clutter can also be a fire risk, so it’s best to remove it.
Try to install plastic shelf stacks that can be easily accessed from the side to create dementia-friendly access to storage. Choose shelves of different colours and assign a colour to a theme – for example the blue shelf is for bath products, the yellow shelf is for books etc. This will keep clutter to a minimum, and make it easier to find what you’re looking for in the future.
2. Chose patterns carefully
Complicated patterns and designs can provide confusion for residents with dementia as the complex artwork can result in a sort of sensory over-stimulation. We’d recommend choosing block colours wherever possible to maintain a dementia-friendly environment – for crockery, cutlery, furniture, curtains etc.
Contrasting colours to the surroundings (e.g. a dark sofa on a light carpet) will also help to keep the resident’s home more distinct, allowing them to safely get to the item of choice.
3. Label
Labelling can be very important; residents with dementia sometimes struggle to identify specific items, so labelling will assist with this. Label doors (especially for the bathroom and kitchen – places of high need), appliances (especially those which can get very hot like the oven and kettle) and food (with instructions and when it goes out of date).
Keeping everything clear and orderly will help the resident in day to day tasks.
4. Remove any trip hazards
Rugs, side tables, loose shoes – anything that can be a trip hazard should be removed to prevent risk of slips and trips.
Invest in some space-tidying devices to ensure a dementia-friendly home: furniture shoe racks are perfect for storing footwear and providing a place to sit to pop on shoes.
5. Emergency contacts
It’s always a good idea to have some printed lists of emergency contacts around the living space, in case of an emergency. Include your local GP, physiotherapist, OT, dentist or any other medical professional that you may be using.
It’s also helpful to have some numbers for the resident’s close family or friends that can help out in an emergency and that would want to know ASAP if there was a problem.
If a resident struggles to remember numbers, this will also be a great source of personal comfort: knowing that they can get in touch at a moment’s notice.
6. Photographs
Keep photographs displayed throughout the house; this will help to trigger memories and remind the resident living with dementia about their friends and family. It will also bring comfort and happiness and a sense of personalisation to the rooms.
Consider investing in some paper prints of family photos that can be stuck to the walls – if the resident is older and has poor eyesight, larger is better.
7. Install Night Lights
Older residents often wake up multiple times in the night, to get water or to go to the bathroom.
Keep a small glass of water on the bedside table, away from any wires, lamps or cables. Install nightlights throughout the property, lighting the way to the bathroom for ease of access.
8. Use Music
Whenever you get the chance, pop on some music that you know your loved one enjoys! The link between memory and music and strong – sometimes residents who have had long-term dementia and struggle recalling basic details can remember an entire song.
Try to make time to listen to music together, have a little dance and sing-a-long, keeping endorphins and serotonin high!
9. Care
If you’re struggling to spend as much time as you’d like with your loved one, due to work or family commitments, we can help! Our local Wolverhampton carers can help the resident with their day-to-day chores, medication, exercise, night sits or just companionship visits, to keep them company. Our carers are trained in dementia care, so your loved one is in safe hands!
They can also come into the house to help install night lights, label commonly used items or tidy up; just let us know your needs and we can help – get in touch today.
10. Sensors and alarms
Nowadays, there’s many alarms and devices that residents can use when they live alone. Invest in a necklace alarm, which the resident can press in case of emergency, or some pressure sensors.
Pressure sensors can be placed around or in the resident’s bed and will detect when they’re out of bed. You can also set them to send an alert to a contact if they’re out of bed for a long time and you’re concerned.
Should you wish to discuss your requirements or concerns, our friendly team are happy to help; get in touch today!
