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Creating a Safe Home Environment |
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Written by Christine Lever
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Wednesday, 13 December 2006 |
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Page 2 of 12
Preventing Wandering
Many people with AD feel compelled to move or “wander”. To prevent your loved one from leaving the safety of home and becoming lost, install simple locks such as a hook and eye at the top of exterior doors or windows.
A chain safety lock can also be added to exterior doors but be sure to install the kind that can be opened from outside by using a key. There have been instances of caregivers being locked out of the house, so using the right kind of safety chain lock will allow you to use a key to get in. These are readily available at hardware stores.
Install alarms on any door or window that can be used as an exit route. If alarms cannot be used, you could try bells or even wind chimes which will sound if moved.
Multiple locks on exterior doors become too complicated for someone with AD. Don’t forget to add locks to backyard gates or gates around swimming pools. While you’re adding locks to exterior doors, you may want to remove them from doors inside the home. For example, bathrooms and bedrooms with locks may present an opportunity for someone to lock themselves in.
Windows on the ground floor or basement should be kept in a locked position, as should sliding glass doors.
At night, do not turn on outside lights. Alzheimer's sufferers tend to not like the dark and so will be reluctant to go outside at night if it appears too dark. Closing the drapes or lowering blinds may also help prevent your loved one to see outside at night, as lights from the street or houses across the road might tempt them to go outside and wander.
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