However, as dementia progresses, their home may not be perfectly suited to your loved ones needs.
Huelat has spent her career implementing design principles that support healing, comfort, and safety.
Create a safe and comfortable environment.
This includes making sure that the home is well-lit, free of clutter, and easy to navigate.
And when you add dementia on top of age it becomes even more important.
People with dementia need three times as much light as someone with normal vision.
Glare creates shapes, and people with dementia cant figure out what they are.
Remember, windows become reflective at night and can cause confusion.
Once youve enjoyed the days natural light, close curtains at night.
Ergonomics is not only about comfort, it is also about maintaining working organs, Huelat said.
If you see slouching, get pillows under their arm or back.
Slouching can lead to respiratory problems.
Good posture is essential to keep internal organs working.
Feet are flat on the floor.
Arms rest parallel to the floor.
Put an appropriate table with task lighting within reach.
Move furniture or clutter to clear paths through the home.
Replace tub with a walk-in shower.
Add a bench and removable shower head to the shower or tub.
Install safety bars in the shower and next to the toilet and sink.
Consider if a person with a walker or wheelchair could easily move through doorways or around the kitchen.
Opt for carpet with a shorter pile, and avoid loose rugs.
Avoid hard stone floors.
Use water elements like rain chains outside nearby windows, an aquarium, or an indoor tabletop fountain.
Open windows for fresh air.
check that outdoor views through windows are unobscured.
Add window box plantings.
Place bird feeders within eyesight.
Offer your loved one binoculars to get a better look through windows.
Encourage connecting with pets or service animals.
Keep a photo album and a memory box containing items from their past within reach.
