Home Safety for People with Alzheimer's Disease

Prevention begins with a safety check of every room in your home. Use the following room-by-room checklist to alert you to potential hazards and to record any changes you need to make. You can buy products or gadgets necessary for home safety at stores carrying hardware, electronics, medical supplies, and children's items.

Keep in mind that it may not be necessary to make all of the suggested changes. This booklet covers a wide range of safety concerns that may arise, and some modifications may never be needed. It is important, however, to re-evaluate home safety periodically as behavior and abilities change.

Your home is a personal and precious environment. As you go through this checklist, some of the changes you make may impact your surroundings positively, and some may affect you in ways that may be inconvenient or undesirable. It is possible, however, to strike a balance. Caregivers can make adaptations that modify and simplify without severely disrupting the home. You may want to consider setting aside a special area for yourself, a space off-limits to anyone else and arranged exactly as you like. Everyone needs private, quiet time, and as a caregiver, this becomes especially crucial.


A safe home can be a less stressful home for the person with AD, the caregiver, and family members. You don't have to make these changes alone. You may want to enlist the help of a friend, professional, or community service such as the Alzheimer's Association.

 

Throughout the Home

  • Display emergency numbers and your home address near all telephones.

  • Use an answering machine when you cannot answer calls, and set it to turn on after the fewest number of rings possible. A person with AD often may be unable to take messages or could become a victim of telephone exploitation. Turn ringers on low to avoid distraction and confusion. Put all portable and cell phones and equipment in a safe place so that they will not be easily lost.

  • Install smoke alarms near all bedrooms; check their functioning and batteries frequently.

  • Avoid the use of flammable and volatile compounds near gas water heaters. Do not store these materials in an area where a gas pilot light is used.

  • Install secure locks on all outside doors and windows.

  • Hide a spare house key outside in case the person with AD locks you out of the house.

  • Avoid the use of extension cords if possible by placing lamps and appliances close to electrical outlets. Tack extension cords to the baseboards of a room to avoid tripping.

  • Cover unused outlets with childproof plugs.

  • Place red tape around floor vents, radiators, and other heating devices to deter the person with AD from standing on or touching a hot grid.

  • 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. Child-resistant caps are available if needed.

  • Keep all alcohol in a locked cabinet or out of reach of the person with AD. Drinking alcohol can increase confusion.

  • If smoking is permitted, monitor the person with AD while he or she is smoking. Remove matches, lighters, cigarettes, and ashtrays and other means of smoking from view. This reduces potential fire hazards, and 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 AD 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.

  • Make sure all computer equipment and accessories, including electrical cords, are kept out of the way. If valuable documents or materials are stored on a home computer, protect the files with passwords. Password protect access to the Internet also, and restrict the amount of online time without supervision. Consider monitoring the person with AD's computer use, and installing software that screens for objectionable or offensive material on the Internet.