Making some simple checks and adaptations to the home of a person with dementia can help them stay safe and comfortable. These tips will help you assess their living environment and make any necessary changes.
Why might a person with dementia have difficulty keeping safe and comfortable at home?
A person with dementia may struggle to function in their home because of:
- memory issues
- problems with recognising and interpreting their environment
- vision or hearing impairments
- mobility problems
- other health conditions alongside dementia
The best way to identify possible hazards is to take a room-by-room tour looking out for areas of risk and adaptations you could make.
Making the outside of the home safe and recognisable
To help the person with dementia recognise their own home and reduce confusion:
- Avoid making any significant changes to the exterior, such as changing the door colour or cutting down trees or shrubs
- Ensure the door number is large and easy to read
- Put an easily identifiable object like a garden ornament outside
You could also consider these safety measures:
- Fit a sturdy handrail to steps to prevent falls, or have them converted to a ramp
- Ensure there is sufficient lighting – a motion sensor light means the person will not have to remember to turn it on or off
- Install a camera doorbell to monitor who is coming and going – you can set it up to receive alerts to your own phone
- Fit a key safe so that family members, carers or emergency services can gain access if the person cannot open the door
- Put a sticker on the door or letterbox requesting no junk mail or cold calls, or join a Neighbourhood Watch group and display its sticker
Making the hallway safe and comfortable
- Keep the hall uncluttered so it is easy to get through the front door
- Hang an easy-to-read clock near the door, displaying the time, day and date, to help the person tell if it is time to go out
- Keep keys in a set place so they are easy to find, eg a hook on the wall – make sure they cannot be seen from outside
- Use gripper tape to secure doormats or carpet runners to reduce the risk of falls, or remove them completely
- Fit a door alarm to alert you if the person is likely to leave home alone when it is unsafe for them to do so
Making the kitchen safe and comfortable
The kitchen can be a confusing and potentially dangerous place for a person with dementia. These tips will make it safer and easier to manage.
- Keep frequently used items like mugs, tea/coffee and spoons on the worktop
- Consider replacing solid cupboard doors with clear doors so the contents are easy to see
- If this is not possible, stick a simple sign or photograph of the cupboard’s contents to the door to show the person what is inside. Make sure labels are clear, easy to understand, and at eye level – you can find printable images and signs online or buy them from shops selling assistive living aids
- Clearly label hot and cold taps, either by writing the words on waterproof (eg laminated) labels or replacing them with taps marked ‘hot’ and ‘cold’
- Regularly check the fridge and cupboards and throw out food that is out of date
- Write simple instructions for appliances like the microwave and washing machine, and keep them next to the appliance
- If an appliance breaks, try to replace like-for-like so the person understands how to operate it
- Look into assistive living products to help maintain independence and safety, such as kettle tippers, jar openers and easy-grip utensils
- Use a whiteboard for reminders of important household tasks, eg locking the doors, taking bins out, charging their phone
To reduce the risk of accidents in the kitchen, you could:
- Store all medicines, cleaning products, chemicals and objects like batteries out of reach in a locked cabinet or cupboard. Many household cleaning items like liquid washing capsules are brightly coloured and can be easily mistaken for something edible, like sweets. Products should always be stored in their original containers with lids securely fastened – do not reuse old biscuit or chocolate tins for storage as this may make the person think the contents are edible
- Hang an oven glove in an obvious place and remind the person to use it
- Put frequently used items like saucepans and tinned food in a bottom cupboard so the person does not need to climb to get to them – items that are used less often, like kitchen scales, could be kept in higher cupboards
- Replace pans with metal handles, which can get very hot, with plastic handled pans
- Speak to your gas supplier about fitting a free gas valve limiter to the cooker to prevent the gas being left on or switched on accidentally
- Use a flood and scald prevention plug in the sink – if the tap is left on, these automatically drain the water once it gets to a certain depth; and change colour if the water is too hot
Making the living room safe and comfortable
To help the person feel relaxed in their living room, make sure furniture is comfortable and supportive. Assistive chairs that rise, lower and tilt to help the person stand up and sit down can be very useful, but may be expensive.
Putting up family photos can act as a memory aid and help the person stay grounded in time – you could label them with people’s names.
Keep important items like glasses, mobile phone, remote control etc in a consistent, easily accessible place such as a side table or armchair organiser. This will help prevent them being mislaid and avoid the person having to get up and down too often, especially if they are prone to falls.
If the person with dementia struggles to operate the television, you can buy simple universal remote controls with large, clearly labelled buttons, or stick paper to the controller to block out buttons that the person is unlikely to need.
Smart devices (such as Google, Alexa or Siri) can be very useful. For example, they can be programmed to perform tasks like turning lights on and off, playing music, reading audiobooks and giving reminders. Think about what sort of voice will be most suitable (for example, some people find a female voice more reassuring than a male one).
Electric fires or portable fan heaters could be accidentally left on or tripped over, so it is safest not to use them. Check that the central heating is set to a comfortable temperature (18-21˚C suits most people), and if the person tends to get cold, leave a blanket within easy reach of their chair.
Making the bedroom safe and comfortable
These tips will help make the bedroom a safe and relaxing place to sleep.
- Minimise clutter to reduce the risk of falls
- Use a movement or bed sensor to alert you if the person gets out of bed
- If the person has continence issues, fit a waterproof mattress cover. Ensure that any incontinence pads or pants are comfortable and will last the night
- Choose bedding and nightwear that are comfortable and appropriate for the weather – if the person is too hot or cold, they are more likely to wake
- Use a night light or touch-operated bedside light that is easy for the person to turn on if they get up during the night
- An easy-to-read clock on the bedside table may help the person know when it is time to get up, and when to try to sleep
- Consider laying out the person’s outfit ready for the morning to reduce confusion over choosing suitable clothes
- Pack away seasonal clothes to make it easier for the person to pick appropriate outfits for the weather and time of year (eg putting summer clothes in the loft when autumn begins)
Making the bathroom safe and comfortable
To make the bathroom safer and easier to navigate, you could:
- Stick a written sign or a picture of a toilet to the door to help the person identify the bathroom (you can also do this for other rooms)
- Leave the bathroom light on at night to help the person find their way
- Fit a toilet lid and seat in a different colour from the toilet itself to make it more visible
- Remove toilet and bathmats – these can be trip hazards and may look like a hole or other obstacle if the person has problems with visual perception
- Use a free-standing toilet roll holder. These are easier to see than wall-mounted holders, and putting it right next to the toilet means the person does not have to stretch and potentially lose their balance – but if the person is prone to falls, be aware that they may be a trip hazard
- Buy towels and toilet paper that are a different colour from the holder, walls and floor so they stand out
- Install rails or handles at useful points such as in the bath/shower and next to the toilet
- Provide a bath or shower seat if the person has mobility or balance problems
- Use flood and scald prevention plugs in the basin and bath
Making changes to the walls and flooring may not be possible, but if you are redecorating or the person with dementia is moving somewhere new, these are some things you could consider.
- Choose matt flooring and walls: shiny surfaces may appear wet or slippery
- Avoid patterned wallpaper, which can cause visual confusion
- Try to use one consistent style and colour of flooring throughout – changes in pattern or colour can look like an obstacle or step
- Avoid dark-coloured rugs, which could look like a hole in the floor
- Replace damaged carpets or floor coverings promptly to prevent falls
- Paint walls a different colour from the floors
- Stick coloured tape around doorframes, on the edge of steps and around light switches to make them stand out
- Ensure floors are completely dry after mopping to reduce the risk of slipping
Many people with dementia are prone to falls – which often happen at home. Here are some things you can do to reduce the risk.
- Ensure there is no clutter on the floor, such as trailing wires, shoes and toys
- Remove rugs or ensure they are stuck down
- Remove furniture with thin legs that could be tripped over
- Consider a personal fall alarm that the person can press to summon help – these may be available from social services; otherwise you can buy them from private suppliers
- Ensure the person’s shoes and slippers are sturdy and fit properly – avoid backless slip-on styles
- Install sturdy bannisters or rails on the stairs and in places around the home and garden where they are most likely to fall
- Fit smoke alarms in the hallway, landing, and every ‘habitable’ room (eg living, dining and bedrooms – not bathrooms) and a heat sensor in the kitchen
- Ideally, alarms should be mains powered rather than battery powered, and interlinked so that if one goes off, the rest do too
- Test alarms every month, even if they are mains powered
- If the alarm is battery powered, batteries should be replaced every six months, even if they do not appear to be flat
- All smoke alarms should be replaced completely every 10 years
- Never remove batteries from an alarm (eg to silence it if it goes off while cooking) in case you forget to put them back
- Fit carbon monoxide detectors in every room with a fuel-burning appliance such as a gas boiler, gas fire, open fire or wood burner
Most fire services offer free home safety checks, and many also fit free smoke alarms. Contact your local fire station for advice (do not call 999 for this).
A home that is well-lit during the day and dim and cosy at night can help keep the person with dementia safe and comfortable. You could try:
- opening curtains fully during the day
- removing net curtains or blinds to allow natural daylight in
- installing lightbulbs with a high wattage
- placing the person’s favourite chair by a window so they get plenty of daylight and can watch what is going on outside
- using portable or plug-in night lights in hallway and landings
- fitting blackout curtains in the bedroom to help the person sleep
- using timer plugs to switch lamps on and off at appropriate times
Some people with dementia experience ‘sundowning’ – a feeling of intense confusion and being in the wrong place, typically occurring at dusk. Drawing the curtains and switching lights on before it gets dark may ease the transition from day to night and reduce distress.
Noisy environments may cause agitation and upset in people affected by dementia and make it harder to concentrate and follow conversations.
Try to reduce unnecessary background noise, for example by switching off the TV and radio when they are not actively being used (although some people enjoy having favourite music or a radio station playing quietly – be guided by your knowledge of the person).
If the person lives in a busy environment with other people, especially children, set aside a quiet space where they can go if they are feeling overwhelmed, for example their bedroom.
A free home assessment from social services can help identify adaptations and equipment to keep the person with dementia safe and comfortable at home. This is normally carried out by an occupational therapist.
Small adaptations costing under £1,000 – such as grab rails or automatic outdoor lighting – should be paid for by the local council. Larger adaptations like stairlifts or walk-in baths are not usually paid for by the council, but the person may be eligible for a Disabled Facilities Grant or Independence at Home grant.
Occupational therapists can also suggest ways to modify the person’s daily tasks to make them more manageable and help them develop new skills for carrying out essential activities.
You can request a home assessment from your local council, and an occupational therapy assessment through the GP or council. Alternatively, you can book a private occupational therapy appointment.
Sources of support
To speak to a dementia specialist Admiral Nurse about making the home safe and comfortable or any other aspect of dementia, please call our free Helpline on 0800 888 6678 (Monday-Friday 9am-9pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am-5pm, every day except 25th December) or email helpline@dementiauk.org.
Alternatively you can book a phone or video appointment in our virtual clinic.