Memory Care

Lifestyle Adjustments and Home Safety for Parents with Dementia

As your parent’s dementia symptoms advance, it’s vital to make key adjustments to their home and lifestyle to meet their evolving needs.   

To promote quality of life, focus on elevating home safety and comfort. You can make updates to your parent’s home so it remains secure, easy to navigate and fitted to their routine. 

In addition, you can encourage your parent’s well-being by incorporating meaningful activities and cognitive stimulation into their daily life. Even small increases in engagement can help slow down dementia symptoms.

Making these changes can ensure your parent thrives at home. To help you get started, our experts at Varenita of West Cobb have put together top recommendations for safety and lifestyle adjustments.

Understanding Dementia and Its Impact

Dementia is a term that encompasses a range of diseases that cause memory loss and cognitive decline. Over time, these conditions reduce an individual’s ability to remember, think and communicate. 

The most common type of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease, though there are many others such as vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, mixed dementia and more. 

How Dementia Affects Daily Life

As the stages of dementia progress, your parent may experience disruptions to daily life. It’s common, for example, for individuals with dementia to become confused or agitated in familiar places. They may forget to turn off the oven, get lost in their neighborhood or stop recognizing family members. 

Memory decline also makes it hard for older adults to complete daily tasks. They may require extra support to bathe and dress, prepare and eat meals, and get around the home. As communication becomes difficult, those with dementia may also isolate themselves and lose interest in their favorite activities. 

Given these changes, it’s important for your family to carefully consider how to promote daily engagement and enhance safety at home (especially from falls and wandering).

Lifestyle Adjustments for Parents with Dementia

A consistent routine is crucial to enhance well-being for individuals with dementia. Often this provides comfort and structure, so your parent doesn’t feel “aimless” and knows what to expect. As you create a schedule, be sure to include a variety of activities that keep your parent engaged. 

Key Activities and Engagement

Finding a balance of safe, stimulating activities can be challenging. Here are some possibilities, though you should tailor your parent’s schedule according to their interests and preferences:

  • Exercise, such as a walk, yoga class, dance class, swimming, gardening, etc. 
  • Arts and crafts, such as drawing/painting class, scrapbooking, sewing club, etc.
  • Music
  • Baking
  • Board games and puzzles
  • Social outings
  • Movies

It’s especially important for your parent to experience social interaction during the day. Having weekly group classes or a regular tea time with friends can help them stay connected. 

Dementia Communication Techniques 

In addition to an enriching schedule, you can keep your parent engaged by communicating effectively. Often family and friends get frustrated when conversing with an individual with dementia, but try to speak calmly and clearly. 

Focus on connecting with them on their terms. For example, your parent may repeat a favorite story, change topics abruptly or believe they’re living in a different period of their life. Go with the flow and don’t be afraid to ask your parent follow-up questions. Above all, show affection in your responses. 

Home Safety Measures

Protect your parent’s safety by making adjustments to their home spaces. Here are some key steps that will increase both security and comfort. 

1. Adjust the Home’s Layout

It’s important for your parent’s home to have clear walkways. Get rid of any clutter and store unused items, so that it’s as easy-to-navigate as possible. For safety, you should also remove rugs, cords and any other trip hazards. 

If there’s a garage, basement or other storage space with potentially dangerous items, limit movement by locking these areas from daily use.

2. Add Safety Features

There are a lot of little features you can add to your parent’s home to increase security, such as:

  • Handrails and grip strips on stairs and steps
  • Safety plugs for electrical outlets
  • Safety latches for cabinet doors
  • Motion detection lighting in halls and stairs, as well as night lights in rooms
  • Labels for daily use items
  • Kitchen appliances with auto shut-off features
  • Fire and carbon dioxide alarms in every room
  • Automated pill dispenser to ensure medication safety

In particular, you should take special care to make the bathroom safe. 80% of falls occur in the bathroom, which is why you should install grab bars, non-slip mats and a shower chair. You should also turn the temperature down on the heater and remove door locks. 

3. Install Safety Monitoring Devices

Keep an eye on your parent by installing safety devices that alert you to unusual activity. 

For example, adding door alarms and video monitoring at exits will let you know if your parent has left the house. You might also try a special door lock, though make sure your parent can open it in case of emergency. 

If your parent is prone to wandering, you might activate GPS tracking on their phone or get a medical bracelet with this capability. A smartwatch is also a good investment, as some models come with both GPS tracking and emergency fall alerts. 

4. Prepare for Emergencies

Behaviors can be difficult to predict in individuals with dementia. Preparing for worst-case scenarios can help contain the emergency and keep your parent safe. 

For the basics, have a list of emergency phone numbers readily available, as well copies of your parent’s ID, medical documents, prescriptions, doctor information and family contacts on hand. 

You might also enroll your parent in medical alert and wandering response services (such as MedicAlert). These services will coordinate with emergency personnel in case your parent is experiencing a health event or has wandered off. Don’t forget to check with your local police as well, as some precincts offer a special “Silver Alert” service to find missing seniors.

When to Consider Assisted Living or Memory Care

As dementia symptoms progress, your parent may require a greater level of support. While every individual experiences dementia differently, here are some common signs that your parent may benefit from moving to a community setting:

  • You’re worried about your parent’s safety, especially if they’re wandering, falling frequently or going to the hospital often. 
  • Your parent is showing dementia symptoms, such asconfusion, memory loss, repetitiveness, trouble finding the right words, loss of interest in activities, etc.
  • Your parent’s behaviors have changed recently, includingbeing agitated, aggressive and withdrawn. They may also show mood changes and even depression. 
  • Your parent is struggling with daily hygiene. You’ve noticed their personal care has declined and/or they’ve lost weight. 
  • Your parent can no longer handle household tasks, such as paying bills, driving, cooking, etc.
  • You want a better quality of life for your loved one. You’re worried that your parent is home alone and isolated from social activities. 
  • You’re feeling overwhelmed with care. An uptick in stress can affect your ability to provide the best care for your parent. 

Benefits of Assisted Living and Memory Care

Community living – whether assisted living or memory care – can give your family peace of mind. All your parent’s needs will be handled by specialists within a secure and engaging environment. Top benefits of choosing a senior living community in West Cobb include:

  • Facilities designed for dementia safety and comfort
  • 24/7 health and safety monitoring
  • Specially trained dementia staff
  • Memory-enhancing activities 
  • Daily social interactions 
  • Access to full amenities and services

Your parent will not only stay safe at a memory community, but also enjoy a vibrant lifestyle that stimulates their mind, body and soul. What’s more, this level of daily engagement can help slow down cognitive decline and encourage excellent quality of life. 

Why Choose Varenita of West Cobb

Choose a memory care community in Georgia that offers one-of-a-kind support and engagement for adults living with dementia. Find out how Varenita of West Cobb elevates care and meaningful connections below.  

Specialized Dementia Care

Compassionate, expertly-provided care is the hallmark of Varenita of West Cobb. Our specialists are specifically trained in dementia and will craft care plans tailored to every individual’s interests and abilities. 

We’re proud to create a vibrant environment that centers lifestyle quality and relationships. To this end, we provide:

  • Dynamic daily activities (music, dance, art, food, movement, etc.)
  • A dedicated Program Director for each resident
  • Daily small group social connections 

Safety and Security

Our memory care community in Acworth is fully secure with 24/7 safety monitoring. In addition, all spaces are designed to be soothing for individuals with dementia. The private studios are also equipped with state-of-the-art security technology and safety features, including grab bars, non-slip flooring, lighting and more.

Keep Your Parent Safe and Engaged With Varenita of West Cobb

Boost your parent’s quality of life with dementia by making key lifestyle and home safety adjustments. Leverage our recommendations above to create a secure, stimulating environment where your parent can thrive. 

If you believe it’s time for a more involved care approach, get to know our premier memory care in West Cobb. Our care levels are specially designed to provide your parent with a vibrant, safe and whole-person lifestyle. 

Schedule a consultation with our experts at Varenita of West Cobb to explore our personalized, robust dementia care options.