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How to make your loved one's home safer when they are living with Alzheimer's Disease.

Learn more: Seven Tips to Alzheimer's-Proof Your Home

Transcript

Hi. I'm Dorian Martin, and I'm an advocate for Alzheimer's disease, and I'd like to take a few moments today to talk to you about tips for working with your Alzheimer's patient, specifically in safe proofing your house. One of the things you are going to want to think about is stashing the Alzheimer's patient's medicine in a place where they can't get to it. In my mom's case, her memory had deteriorated so much that she was actually miss-medicating herself, because she could not remember if she'd given herself medications or not. So it's really important that as Alzheimer's worsens, you take over the medications. Keep them away from the person who has Alzheimer's and dispense them at the appropriate times. Alzheimer's patients often have their balance compromised, so it's really important that you keep floors clear. You need to remove area rugs, throw rugs, or even things like dog's toys. Many people worry that the person with Alzheimer's will wander. You may want to install tension locks that will keep the Alzheimer's patient from opening the door. You also may want to find devices that will sound an alert when the door is opened. People with Alzheimer's may not be aware of what they're putting in their mouth as the disease progresses, so it's really important if they're staying with you in your house that you're aware of potential hazards provided by toxic plants. A complete list of toxic plants can be found on the web. Swimming pools, spas, and other bodies of water can be dangerous to people with Alzheimer's disease. A person with Alzheimer's may no longer understand that a pool has a deep end and a shallow end. One other caution I would give to you is to be aware of what is playing on the television. New shows or movies that are unhappy can often distress a person with Alzheimer's who has lost the understanding of what is real and what is not. Therefore, I'd really encourage you to play things such as old movies, old sitcoms, and shows that they would've grown up with. That's how I see it as an Alzheimer's disease advocate. I would also encourage you to reach out to local services to get additional details. You can also go to Google and type in "Alzheimer's how to safe proof your home" to get additional information. Thank you.

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