How to Create a Better Home Environment for a Person With Dementia

Aging in place , or staying in a familiar home environment in the later years of life, is often beneficial for people with dementia. However, as dementia progresses, their home may not be ideal for your loved one’s needs.

Health care designer Barbara J. Huela shared some solutions for changing your home environment to improve the safety and comfort of a loved one with dementia. Huela has dedicated her career to promoting design principles that promote healing, comfort and safety. Due to her personal experience, she has a particular interest in environments that support people with dementia and their carers. Wela recently co-authored the book Taming the Chaos of Dementia: A Caregiver’s Guide to Interventions That Make a Difference with her daughter Sharon T. Pochron .

“Science shows that as people with dementia lose their cognitive function, they do not lose their ability to enjoy life, love and be loved, laugh, cry, and maintain relationships,” write Uela and Pochron.

Design principles for a home for people with dementia

Two key ideas to consider when creating a home environment for people with dementia are:

1. Support physical needs.

2. Tap into positive emotions.

“Create a safe and comfortable environment. This includes making sure the home is well lit, free of clutter, and easy to navigate. It’s also important to eliminate any potential hazards, such as sharp objects or tripping hazards, Wela said.

Maximum natural light

Keep windows clear and curtains open during the day to allow maximum natural light into your living areas.

“Natural light is important for people living with dementia because older eyes need more light to see,” Wela said. “And when you add dementia to the mix of age, it becomes even more important.”

People with dementia need three times more light than people with normal vision. “This is important because people with dementia can become scared or confused if they can’t see something properly,” Wela said.

Avoid shadows and highlights

You may need to use higher wattage bulbs and additional lamps to illuminate senior living spaces. To avoid glare from additional light, use warm white lamps, indirect light sources, and remove reflective surfaces.

“The glare creates shapes and people with dementia cannot understand what they are. People with dementia get scared at night when they think they see something that isn’t really there,” said Huela.

Also be aware of shadows cast by the movement of ceiling fans, which can confuse and frighten a person with dementia.

Reduce mirrors

A mirror above the bathroom sink is useful and expected, but consider removing mirrors in other areas of the house.

“Reflective surfaces such as mirrors, windows and glass doors, which can create disturbing or unrecognizable images, are common triggers,” Huela writes in her book. “Try using mirrors only above sinks or in self-care areas, which often make sense for people with dementia, avoiding mirrors that can be seen from a distance or while walking, which may display images that are harder to understand.”

Be aware that windows become reflective at night and can cause confusion. Once you’ve enjoyed the natural light of the day, close the curtains at night.

Consider ergonomics

As dementia progresses, people become less mobile and are more likely to spend most of their time in their favorite chair. You can ensure that the chair is not only comfortable, but also provides support for correct posture.

“Ergonomics is not only about comfort, but also about maintaining organ function,” said Huela. “If you see him slouching, place pillows under his arm or back. Slouching can lead to breathing problems. Good posture is necessary to maintain the functioning of internal organs.”

Look for these signs that your chair is ergonomically well-designed:

• Vertical position

• Lumbar support

• The neck is relaxed and neutral.

• Feet are on the floor.

• Hands lie parallel to the floor.

The ideal positioning of the chair will allow them to see the door, bathroom, window and TV. Have a suitable desk with task lighting handy.

Check your security sooner rather than later

If a home needs structural changes to make it more accessible for people with limited mobility (which is something a person with dementia is likely to eventually experience), it is best to make those changes before the need arises.

As Huela writes, you should evaluate these areas of the home for fall prevention, fall hazard reduction, and improved access to the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom:

• Install a ramp to avoid steps at the entrance to your home.

• Move furniture or clutter to clear a path through the house.

• Replace the bathtub with a shower stall.

• Add a bench and removable shower head to your shower or bathtub.

• Install protective grilles in the shower, near the toilet and sink.

• Consider whether a person with a walker or wheelchair will be able to move easily through doorways or around the kitchen.

• Choose a carpet with a shorter pile and avoid loose rugs.

• Avoid hard stone floors.

Connect with nature

Spending time in nature is good health advice for everyone and is equally important for people living with dementia.

“Getting out into nature, especially in the morning, can reset someone’s body clock and circadian rhythm,” Huela said. “Even if they are bedridden or can’t walk very far, try to maintain visibility by a window or sit them on the porch or deck; a short walk can do wonders.”

If your person isn’t mobile enough to go outside or tends to wander, here are some tips for reconnecting with nature in their safe space:

• Place indoor plants in the room.

• Use water features such as rain chains near nearby windows, in an aquarium, or in an indoor tabletop fountain.

• Open windows for fresh air.

• Make sure the view of the street through the windows is not obstructed.

• Add plantings in window boxes.

• Place bird feeders within sight.

• Offer your loved one binoculars to get a better look at them from the window.

• Encourage interaction with pets or service animals.

Honor cherished possessions and memories

Finally, an important part of making a home enjoyable for a person with memory loss is highlighting items that evoke nostalgia or bring comfort. You can do this by hanging their favorite pieces of art and photographs where they spend most of their time. Keep a photo album and a memory box with items from the past on hand.

“When your person with dementia lives at home, you may think that you don’t need to rely on the power of objects to create a sense of safety and connection with others, but if your person loses mobility and access to more complex parts of the home becomes less easy, it may be difficult to will consider how this shrinking of their world affects their sense of home and the security associated with it,” Huela wrote. “You may want to move favorite photos or memorabilia from the upstairs office to the bedroom or living room if your person can no longer access the office. If you need to move your bedroom to avoid the stairs, you can minimize confusion by bringing along art and other items that are representative of your personality.”

More…