Bedroom Safety for Seniors with Dementia
Aging adults with dementia have some specific safety needs, particularly in their bedroom at night. These ideas can help your elderly family member to feel safer and give you a measure of security as well.
Senior Care in Lowell MI: Bedroom Safety for Seniors with Dementia
Consider a Monitor for the Bedroom.
Bedroom monitors can be a touchy topic. In some respects, you and your senior might worry that they’re an invasion of her privacy. But they can also help you to know more quickly when your elderly family member needs help.
Consider Fall Mats and Bed Rails.
If your senior is at risk of falling out of bed, it’s a good idea to find ways to minimize that risk. One way to do that is to install bed rails onto your senior’s bed. Most of these are a simple install which involves sliding a piece between the mattress and the box spring. Fall mats are squishy mats that can lessen the impact of a fall.
Use Extreme Caution with Electric Items in the Bed.
Someone with dementia doesn’t have the same thought processes that you have, so using electric blankets or electric mattress pads during colder weather might have an element of danger involved. It’s very easy for your senior to accidentally burn herself by forgetting that these items are turned on.
Be Alert for Tripping Hazards.
Tripping hazards are always a problem, especially at night when your elderly family member might not be able to distinguish what’s around her. Night lights can help, but it’s also important to reduce clutter as much as you can. You might even want to put glow-in-the-dark tape along the edges of furniture to help your senior avoid them in the dark or in lower light.
Try to Plan Ahead Before Bed.
Once your senior is ready for bed, it helps if she’s had all her needs met. This can reduce the risk of her needing to get up in the middle of the night. As much as you anticipate, though, your senior may still need help overnight and that can be difficult for you because you still need to sleep. Senior care providers can take over the night shift for you, which allows you to sleep knowing that your elderly family member has the help that she needs overnight.
Be sure to monitor your senior’s safety in her bedroom periodically. Making a few changes here and there can keep her safe without disrupting too much of her nightly routine. It’s better to err on the side of safety than to put off making any changes at all.
If you or someone you know needs help with senior care in Lowell, MI, contact Gauthier Family Home Care. We provide quality and affordable home care services in our community. Call us at (616) 258-2300 for more information.
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