The Complete Guide to Alzheimer's-proofing Your HomeAlzheimer's is a particularly difficult disease to deal with because of its many phases, and the hardships it imposes on patients and the patients' caregivers. Doctors can prescribe medication. Therapists can help caregivers handle the stress. However, neither doctors nor therapists have the knowledge to aid in the one area in which most chronically ill patients wish to stay - their home. Written by a practicing architect and gerontologist, The Complete Guide to Alzheimer's-Proofing Your Home shows you how to create a home environment that will help you cope with the many difficulties associated with Alzheimer's. This unique book is divided into two sections to provide the most thorough coverage available. Section One deals with interior and exterior spaces individually, providing key information on how to ensure that the Alzheimer's patient will be safe and secure. Section Two gives a detailed list of potential problems related to Alzheimer's and practical information on how to cope with those problems in the home setting. Topics covered include planning for a caregiver future, minimizing accidents and injuries, grab bar basics, access denial issues, doors to lock and not to lock, the Alzheimer's Association safe return program, activities of daily living, and communication difficulties. The book includes a home safety checklist, a glossary of terms, and an invaluable listing of products that you will need to use in Alzheimer's-proofing your home. This must-read compendium is a home guide, reference, and catalog. It will give you the knowledge and advice to make a better and more pleasant environment for your loved one and provide the quality of health care to keep your loved one in a place surrounded by family and familiarity.
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Contents
Preparing Your Home | 9 |
Strategies for Change | 13 |
Identifying the Zones of Your Home | 18 |
Planning Major Projects | 24 |
Converting a Room | 25 |
Your Homes Interior Spaces | 26 |
The Kitchen | 39 |
The Bedroom | 46 |
Causes of Wandering | 202 |
Wandering to Escape | 204 |
Aimless Meandering | 205 |
Types of Wandering | 206 |
Outdoor Wandering | 212 |
Nocturnal Wandering | 220 |
Wandering Away from Home | 224 |
Perimeters | 225 |
Den Family Room and Living Room | 51 |
The Dining Room | 53 |
Offices Workshops Hobby Rooms | 55 |
The Laundry Room | 56 |
Attics Basements and Cellars | 59 |
Stairs Steps and Railings | 61 |
Doors and Windows | 65 |
Floor Coverings | 68 |
Drawers Cabinets and Closets | 70 |
Your Homes Exterior and Yard | 72 |
Yard Hazards | 73 |
Outdoor Pleasures | 74 |
Dangerous Plants | 75 |
Miscellaneous Suggestions | 79 |
Patios Decks Porches and Balconies | 80 |
ThinkingRelated Issues | 83 |
Loss of ShortTerm Memory | 84 |
Absentmindedness | 85 |
Difficulty Finding Things | 88 |
Organization | 92 |
Difficulties with MultiSequential Tasks | 93 |
LongTerm Memory | 94 |
Selfconfidence | 95 |
Poor Judgment Indecisiveness | 96 |
Create a Therapeutic Environment | 97 |
Disorientation to Time and Place | 99 |
Take Me Home I Want to Go Home | 100 |
Misinterpretations Hallucinations and Delusions | 102 |
Fears | 109 |
Fear of Bathing | 110 |
Fear of Abandonment | 114 |
Fear of Strangers | 115 |
Fear of Incarceration | 116 |
Suspicions and Accusations | 117 |
Isolation and Loneliness | 118 |
Depression | 119 |
Caregiver and Family Depression | 124 |
Suicide | 125 |
Behavioral Problems | 129 |
Rummaging Hiding and Hoarding | 130 |
Protect Your Valuables | 133 |
Make It Easier to Find Lost Items | 134 |
Create Places for Rummaging and Hiding Things | 135 |
Eliminate Bad Places to Hide and Rummage | 137 |
Agitation Combativeness Aggression and Resistance | 141 |
Environmental Pollution | 142 |
Loss of Freedom and Access Denial | 143 |
Rational and Irrational Fears | 144 |
Catastrophic Reactions | 145 |
Sundowning | 146 |
Diversions | 148 |
Picking at Things | 149 |
Shadowing | 151 |
Repetitive Behavior | 152 |
Eating Inappropriate Materials | 153 |
Inappropriate Sexual Behavior | 155 |
Spontaneous Vocalizations | 156 |
Stalling | 157 |
Activities of Daily Living | 159 |
Toileting | 161 |
Bathing and Showering | 165 |
Loss of Control | 166 |
Safety | 167 |
Bathing Alternatives | 169 |
Adjusting Water Temperature | 170 |
Dressing | 171 |
Dressers Drawers and Closets | 173 |
Refusing to Get Undressed | 174 |
Grooming | 175 |
Mirrors | 176 |
Lighting | 177 |
Reminiscing | 178 |
Communication Difficulties | 180 |
Using the Telephone | 181 |
Food Preparation | 186 |
Eating and Dining | 187 |
Create a Special Place at the Table | 188 |
Accidents Happen | 189 |
Housekeeping | 190 |
Laundry | 191 |
Medication Administration | 193 |
Going to the Office | 194 |
Windows and People Watching | 195 |
Exercise | 196 |
Wandering | 199 |
Wandering Basics | 200 |
Freedom to Wander | 201 |
Stage One Perimeters | 226 |
Stage Two Perimeters | 228 |
Stage Three Perimeters | 231 |
Devices and Equipment | 233 |
Hard Alarms | 234 |
Soft Alarms | 235 |
Motion Detectors | 236 |
Notification Systems | 238 |
Monitoring Equipment | 240 |
DistanceMonitoring Equipment | 241 |
FallPrevention Devices | 242 |
Be Prepared Just in Case | 245 |
Access Denial | 251 |
Locks | 253 |
Cabinets and Drawers | 256 |
Outdoor Gates | 259 |
Sliding Glass Doors and Windows | 260 |
Special Areas of Your Home | 263 |
Appliances | 264 |
The Stove | 265 |
The Refrigerator | 266 |
Alternative Methods | 268 |
Remove the Danger | 269 |
Camouflage | 270 |
Hide the Locks | 272 |
ChildProofing Devices | 274 |
Multiple Barriers and Locks | 275 |
Have a Backup Plan | 276 |
Incontinence | 279 |
Environmental Incontinence | 280 |
The Bathroom | 282 |
Accessibility | 283 |
Ease of Use | 285 |
Safety | 289 |
Comfort | 290 |
Privacy and Dignity | 291 |
Lack of Balance and Incontinence | 292 |
Making the Bathroom Easy to Find | 293 |
Dealing with the Consequences | 295 |
Making It Easier to Do Laundry | 297 |
Mobility | 301 |
Cues and Landmarks | 302 |
Redundant Cuing | 304 |
Minimizing Errors | 305 |
Pathways | 306 |
Instability and Falling | 307 |
Bed Railings | 310 |
Canes and Walkers | 311 |
Transferring Lifting and Getting Up | 313 |
From the Bed | 316 |
Using the Toilet | 319 |
Using the Bathtub or Shower | 321 |
Lifts | 331 |
Stairs and Stair Lifts | 334 |
Wheelchairs | 335 |
Accessibility | 336 |
Ramps | 343 |
Platform Lifts | 346 |
Residential Elevators | 348 |
Making the Bedroom Safe and Comfortable | 349 |
Safety | 355 |
Common Types and Sources of Injuries | 360 |
Cuts | 367 |
Poisoning | 372 |
Choking | 374 |
Electric Shock | 375 |
Drowning | 377 |
Trips and Falls | 378 |
AlzheimersSpecific Dangers | 382 |
Wandering Away from Home | 383 |
Nocturnal Wandering | 384 |
Diversions | 385 |
Avoiding Unpleasant Reminders | 386 |
Grab Bars and Railings | 387 |
Grab Bars as Camouflage | 388 |
Preventing Falls | 389 |
Locations for Grab Bars | 390 |
Types of Grab Bars | 391 |
Shopping Tips | 395 |
Installation | 396 |
Products Manufacturers | 401 |
Stages of Decline with Alzheimers Disease | 441 |
Glossary | 444 |
Suggested Reading | 455 |
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