People with dementia/Alzheimer’s can often find the environment confusing as they lose the ability to remember people, places, dates and objects.  Therefore, part of the care you provide them with should include helping them to find ways to locate objects and remember those around them.

To help them do this, you can make their home or apartment dementia friendly!

It helps the individual, their family and friends to make the home environment more helpful and less confusing for people suffering with dementia or Alzheimer’s.

LIGHTING: Good lighting helps to see clearly and make sense of where they are.  As we get older we may find that we need a lot more light than before to be able to see properly.  Daylight through windows will help them stay aware of the time of day and the weather.  Improved lighting can prevent dark areas and shadows on the floor, which can be very confusing.  Keeping their bedroom darker will help them sleep better.

FLOORING: It is very easy to trip over uneven floors or mats.  Changes in the colour of the floor between rooms, rugs or dark floor mats can sometimes look like something that needs to be stepped over.  Shiny floors can look wet or slippery and speckles in flooring may look like litter.  The individual will be able to walk more confidently and safely over plain matt flooring.  The colour of the floor, particularly on stairs, should contracts with the walls.  It is best to avoid floor colours that might be confused with real things, such as blue looking like water or green looking like grass.

FURNISHINGS AND FURNITURE:   Dementia may affect how well an individual can distinguish between different colours.  It may also affect how they see objects in three dimensions.  Using bright and contrasting colours for furniture and furnishings helps everybody see things more clearly.

KNOWING WHERE THINGS ARE: Why is this important?  If you have memory problems, you may forget where things are kept.  Visual clues such as pictures or labels on the outside of cupboards, wardrobes and drawers can help with this.  They can also help to make sense of the home in general.  Open shelves or transparent doors will make it easier for them to find things.  Appliances should be easy to find and not hidden behind cupboard doors.

EATING AND DRINKING: Eating and drinking well is important for staying healthy.  However, the individual may lose their motivation to prepare meals, have a reduce appetite and do not eat at usual mealtimes.  They may also find it difficult to see white food on a white plate or a white plant on a white table.

USING THE BATHEROOM: Not being able to find the toilet when they need it can cause anxiety.  The seat and lid should be in a contrasting colour to the rest of the toilet so that it is easier to see.  Rails in different colours to the walls, traditional-style or lever taps that are marked hot and cold, easy-to-use basin, bath and shower controls and a traditional toilet flush will also be more obvious. 

KEEPING THINGS IN ORDER: Clutter around the home may make the individual feel confused and distracted.  It may also make it difficult for them to find things.  Items left on the floor can lead to trips and falls.  Noise and other distractions can make concentration difficult, so try to reduce these as much as possible. Turn off the TV or radio if they are not watching or listening to them.

KEEPING SAFE: Feeling safe and confident in their home is very important, especially if they are living alone.  There are different types of grab rails, alarms and sensors that can be installed, including smoke detectors to help them stay safe at home.  The fire and rescue service, or home improvement agencies can help make the home safer.

KEEPING ACTIVE & ENGAGED: Keeping active and engaged can really improve their quality of life, so make sure that you engage and support them in doing their favourite things, and staying in contact with other people is very important.  A clock and calendar will help them remember the time and date, so they don’t miss appointments or events.

Careshield have produced a number of eLearning and face-to-face courses on dementia from a basic awareness through to professional courses for care workers. To view the full list click on the link below.