Dementia Care: Safe Environments
As a caregiver of clients with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, you face the ongoing challenge of adapting the environment—on an ongoing basis—to keep your clients safe as their behaviors and functioning decline.
POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUES
Falls
Some studies indicate that the fall rate for people with dementia or AD is as high as 60 percent. Another study showed that the average person with Alzheimer’s will fall at least four times during the course of the illness.
Wandering
Wandering is when a person strays into unsafe places and can be harmed. The most dangerous form of wandering is elopement in which the confused person leaves an area and does not return.
Poisoning
Clients with dementia can be poisoned by taking too much prescription or non-prescription medication, ingesting household chemicals or by eating spoiled foods.
Disasters
It is essential to have a plan of action in in place in case of fire or other disasters for ALL clients. But it’s especially important when you are caring for people with Alzheimer’s or dementia. These clients are particularly vulnerable because their impairments in memory and reasoning severely limit their ability to keep themselves safe in crises.
SOME KEY SAFETY TIPS
To prevent falls, be patient with your clients! And be prepared to remind them every day, every shift, or even every hour to ask for help before getting up.
Plan in advance to prevent wandering. If your client tends to wander at the same time every day, a planned activity at that time could eliminate the problem. Think of simple chores the person may be able to do, such as folding laundry or setting the table for dinner.
If you think your client may be poisoned, you should try to determine the source of the poison. Then, get help quickly. For a poison victim, the most important time is the first hour or two. (The National Poison Control Hotline number is 1-800-222-1222.)
Remember...whether you work in a facility or in clients’ homes, it’s not enough to just have a disaster evacuation plan. EVERYONE (including family members) should know the plan and how to react appropriately should the need arise.
IMPORTANT:
If you can’t change a client’s behavior, then change the environment. For example, think about a curious toddler who gets into everything. We don’t put him in a high chair for 8 hours a day to keep him safe! Instead, we change his environment—we put gates on stairways and locks on cabinets. Think about your clients the same way. Instead of restraining them, make their living area safe.