The Dementia Caregiver's Toolbox

Dementia Care: Designing A Better Bathroom

If our goal is to keep a person with dementia as independent as possible, it would make sense to design or alter the bathroom area so it is as easy to use as possible.  

Here are a few things to consider in making a bathroom dementia-friendly:

1. Use a wide entry door and proper door swing so the person can navigate safely
2. Install grab bars that are angled away from the wall which seem to be more useful than the standard horizontal bar since some residents may not have good upper body strength
3. Give consideration to toilet height.  Sometimes a seat riser or thicker toilet seat may help the person reach their destination
4. Think about adding color contrast.  Since bathrooms can be white or monochromatic, it is important to create contrast between the floor and the toilet or the sinktop and the floor.  Again, this contrast helps the person with dementia locate the all important sink or toilet.
5. Use mirrors with caution as mirrors may help those in the early stages of dementia if installed low enough but could confuse someone in the later stages of dementia.  The possible confusion for a person in the middle stages of dementia might be seeing their own reflection and not recognizing themselves; instead seeing a stranger.

These changes can be tricky in the home environment but even changing one or two things might make all the difference to your person with dementia.

What have you tried in your bathroom environment that has worked?  Please share!

 

Advanced Dementia Labeled Terminal Illness

A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine identifies advanced or end stage dementia as a terminal illness.  Hard for dementia caregivers to believe, but up to this point advanced dementia was not thought of as a true terminal disease.

Dementia Caregivers - Meet the Pioneer Network

There is a group working behind the scenes (and in front too) helping advocate for all those aging, including those with dementia.  You may have never heard about them, but you need to know about them.  The group is called The Pioneer Network.

This wonderful advocacy group started in 1997 and took official form in 2000 with volunteer groups working together on the mission of "...advocate and facilitate a deep system of changes and transformation on our culture of aging".

Dementia - Repetitive Questions: A New Product To Help?

We've discussed before the intense challenge of having a person with dementia asking certain questions over and over.  I received an email about a new product that may help with the situation. 

After talking over the care of her 92 year old mother, Jeannette Twoney, faced the multiple question situation just like we all have.  The difference here is that Jeannette appears to have tried a new approach.  Jeannette, a mediator by trade (interesting caregiver training!), invented Kind Reminder, a small recorder that the person with dementia can wear around their neck.  When a simple button is pressed, the person can hear the voice of a family member or friend reassuring them.