Alzheimer’s Home Safety – Inside the House (continued)

Return to the prior page:  Alzheimer’s Home Safety – Inside the House

  • Check all rooms for adequate lighting.
  • Place light switches at the top and the bottom of stairs.
  • Stairways should have at least one handrail that extends beyond the first and last steps.  If possible, stairways should be carpeted or have safety grip strips.
  • Keep all medications (prescription and over-the-counter) locked.  Each bottle of prescription medicine should be clearly labeled with the patient’s name, name of the drug, drug strength, dosage frequency and expiration date.  Use child-resistant caps if needed.
  • Keep all alcohol in a locked cabinet or out of reach of the person with Alzheimer’s disease.  Drinking alcohol can increase confusion.
  • If smoking is permitted at all, monitor while the person with Alzheimer’s is smoking.  Remove matches, cigarettes, and ashtrays.  With these reminders out of sight, the person may forget the desire to smoke.
  • Avoid clutter, which can create confusion and danger.  Throw out/recycle newspapers and magazines regularly.  Keep all walk areas free of furniture.
  • Keep plastic bags out of reach.  A person with Alzheimer’s may choke or suffocate.
  • Remove all guns or other weapons from the home, or safety proof them by installing safety locks or by removing ammunition and firing pins.
  • Lock all power tools and machinery in the garage, workroom or basement.
  • Remove all poisonous plants from the home.  Check with local nurseries or poison control centers for a list of poisonous plants.
  • Keep fish tanks out of reach. The combination of glass, water, electrical pumps, and potentially poisonous aquatic life could be harmful to a curious person with AD.

See the next page in this series:  Alzheimer’s Home Safety – Outside the House

 

Acorn wishes to acknowledge the National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center that were the sources for this valuable content.