Home Safe Home: Is your home ready for your future needs?

by Danielle on July 31, 2012

Home Safe Home?

Is Your Home Ready for Your Future Needs??

By the time we find our place in this world and we have planted roots, raised a family and become part of a community, it can be difficult, for some, to consider uprooting and making another move in later years.

Increasingly, baby boomers are making the decision to live in their family home for the duration. Although this is a great option for many aging adults, let us not overlook the fact that most homes are not well equipt with the aging adult in mind, especially those with dementia or Alzheimer?s Disease.

• 5.1 Americans currently have Alzheimer Disease. That is 13% of population.
• 70% of people with some form of memory dementia live at home
• Only 5% of nursing home beds are allocated for Alzheimer?s Disease
• By 2030, the number of people with dementia is expected to increase 50% to 7.7 million
• By 2050, that rate is expected to reach 16 million
• Twice as many women as men will suffer from Alzheimer?s Disease- women live longer

The Basics: ?It?is necessary for a caregiver or family member to regularly evaluate your aging adults home for safety concerns as needs may vary dramatically and change over time.? This basic checklist will help you begin assessing the home for upcoming changes.

• De-clutter: Clutter can result from an inability to care for one?s home, or is the outcome of Hoarding tendencies. It is important to understand the difference, as the approach to eliminating clutter will be different.
• Clear out closets and limit options: Options become overwhelming as Alzheimer disease progresses.
• Furniture placement: Critically assess furniture placement as it pertains to safety such as providing clear pathways and eliminating the potential for falls or other accidents. Don?t move furniture unless necessary as this may be confusing.
• Area rugs: Remove rugs that are not securely affixed to the floor.
• Lighting: Increase incandescent lighting in general. Increase lighting in task specific areas- under cabinets, near a favorite chair, along walkways. Include nightlights in bed/bath.
• D?cor: Busy furniture patterns, decorations and wallpaper can be confusing for individuals with dementia or Alzheimer?s disease.? Replace with solid contrasting colors.
• Important Documents: Important documents should be organized and easily accessible by family and/or caregiver. Assess what information is available to an individual with dementia or Alzheimer?s disease.
• Doors and Locks: If wandering is an issue, install appropriate locks. Be sure there is a spare key safely concealed outside of the home should you get locked out or a friend/neighbor need to get inside.
• Designate a locked location for items that may become dangerous such as cleaning supplies and tools.

Taking it One Step Further: ?Making structural changes as it relates to dementia, Alzheimer?s disease and Aging in Place are often necessary steps toward creating a safe, universal and barrier free design that is comfortable and non-institutional for all residence.?An?Aging in the Home?assessment should consider current as well as anticipated needs and should be done by a certified and trained specialist.

Please contact S.O.S. for a detailed discussion on how we can assess your seniors home for safety concerns.

Please share your successful strategies to ensure your seniors safety in their home.

The S.O.S. Crew

?

Source: http://www.organizinglafayette.com/2012/07/home-safe-home-is-your-home-ready-for-your-future-needs/

millennial media nit championship transcendentalism bells palsy channel 5 news uc berkeley harrison barnes