Your loved ones need to be safe at all times, especially if they have been diagnosed with dementia. Providing a safe environment for aging adults with dementia should be a priority for their families. It is hard for anyone to live with dementia, but their families can be of great support.
A safe environment could mean a place where they receive in-house care or from a reputable memory care community. Whatever the case may be, it is important to ensure that your loved one is getting the best care possible. The process of providing a safe environment should be a timely one, to slow down the progression of cognitive decline.
While there is no cure for dementia, you can improve your loved one’s health by keeping them safe and stress-free. Here’s how to provide a safe environment for dementia patients.
Ensure a Peaceful Environment
The environment should be as peaceful as possible, and a peaceful environment is symbolic of assisted living communities. A noisy environment can Increase agitation and anxiety in your loved one.
It doesn’t help your loved ones to be confused as a result of the noise around them. The surroundings should always be calm. A common experience is that dementia patients often wander into unknown places therefore you should avoid confusion at all costs.
Keep Your Environment Clutter-Free
Like a peaceful environment, retirement communities also provide a decluttered environment. A clutter-free environment enhances a clutter-free mind for all who live in it.
It might be hard for you to keep the house uncongested, especially if you have 5-year-olds running around, so you should delegate the responsibility to a credible community. If you do not have little children, then you must be careful to always remove objects from the floor. Objects like phone cords, flip-flops, pencils, and others shouldn’t be on the floor.
Your environment should be impeccably clean and free of items capable of tripping people, especially your loved ones with dementia.
Keep a Phone Nearby
In cases of emergency, you want to always be on alert to be able to take action. If your loved one can still make phone calls then a phone should always be nearby for their use.
If they live in assisted living communities, then they would have access to phones if they can make use of them. If they cannot make use of phones, they are constantly monitored to observe improvements and changes to give you adequate feedback.
Ensure Regular Use of Medications
To put it plainly, most dementia patients are lost without their medications. There are medications to stimulate memory improvement, even though there is no cure for dementia yet. The medications prescribed to your loved one by a physician should be used regularly.
Plan Visits with Friends to Help Stimulate Their Memory
Your loved ones would feel safe around you and other friends that they know, this makes a safe environment for them. You should plan meetings and schedule visits with their friends, to have them come over occasionally.
People with dementia experience memory loss, therefore being around familiar faces would help to stimulate their memories. It reduces the progression of dementia in them.
