Do you care for someone living with dementia and wonder how to create a supportive environment for them at home? Understanding how to design a dementia-friendly home can greatly enhance the experience for your loved one, promoting an inclusive and comfortable atmosphere.
How to create a dementia-friendly home
The answer lies in focusing on four key principles: Friendly, Functional, Familiar, and Forgiving. By incorporating these ideas into your environment, you can succeed in making it a truly dementia-friendly space.
1. Friendly: Making Your Loved One Feel Welcomed and Valued
Creating a friendly environment starts with a simple yet impactful approach to interactions. This means focusing on respectful and supportive engagement. Consider these key elements:
- Approach from the front: This helps avoid startling your loved one.
- Respect personal space: Approach only after obtaining permission, at a comfortable pace.
- Use their preferred name and introduce yourself: For example, “Hi Susan, I’m Mary.” This helps build a personal connection.
- Offer gentle guidance: When needed, offer your hand in a way that provides support and a sense of partnership, rather than taking control.
- Make a positive personal connection: Bond with your loved one by offering a compliment, sharing something positive, asking about their likes or needs, or noticing something in the environment.
Making an environment feel friendly gives your loved one a sense of: I am liked and wanted here.
To make this happen, let them know how much their presence brightens your day, wear a smile, share positive news, and make them feel included. A friendly environment prioritizes relationships above all else.
Ask yourself what feels friendly to you throughout your day, then extend that same kindness to others, especially your loved one.
2. Functional: Simplifying for Ease and Clarity
Functionality in the environment is crucial for people living with dementia, as it helps reduce confusion and supports independence.
Reduce Confusion:
- Prioritize Simplicity: Clutter can overwhelm and confuse, so keep the space uncluttered and with easily accessible items.
- User-Friendly Tools: Offer tools and utensils that are easy to use and understand to promote autonomy.
- Minimize Choices: Minimize choices and opt for straightforward options. For example, ask, “Do you want this or that?”
Support Independence:
- Arrange Thoughtfully: Arrange furniture and items in a way that promotes independence. Create clear pathways to make it easier to move around and accommodate changes in vision and mobility.
- Accessible Items: Place everyday items within easy reach. Streamline cupboards, closets, bathrooms, and bedside tables with only essential items regularly used.
- Ensure Safety: Remove hazards such as loose rugs or cords that could cause tripping, and ensure rooms are well-lit to enhance visibility.
- Encourage Self-Sufficiency: Support independence by allowing your loved one to manage tasks on their own. Offer assistance when needed, respecting their abilities and preferences.
- Promote Freedom of Movement: Avoid barriers like locked doors that can cause distress. Encourage movement and engagement with various areas of the home. Create an environment that promotes exploration and movement, enhancing a sense of freedom and well-being.
Making an environment feel functional gives your loved one a sense of: I know what I am supposed to do here.
3. Familiar: Creating Comfort Using the Senses
Do you feel comfortable at home? The answer is probably yes, and it’s because it’s all familiar to you. Familiarity is comforting for everyone, as it helps us connect with our surroundings through our five senses.
Vision:
– Consistent Layout: Keep the layout of the room consistent. Frequent changes can lead to confusion.
– Familiar Faces: It’s important to have consistent care partners and visitors as much as possible. Seeing the same faces helps build trust and comfort. Frequent changes can be confusing and scary.
– Personalized Items: Include items used regularly like favorite books, trinkets, or a well-loved blanket. Avoid introducing new items unless they add special sensory value. Fill the space with photos of family, friends, and memorable places to evoke reminiscence. Use decorations that stimulate conversation and bring enjoyment.
– Regular Routine: Having a regular routine is important. A written schedule or visual cues can provide clarity on daily activities and events. This eliminates the element of surprise that can cause stress.
Hearing:
– Preferred Music: Play music your loved one enjoys and recognizes. Music from their past, like songs from their youth, can trigger positive memories. If they don’t connect with your music, be willing to change it.
– Nature Sounds: Use recordings of birds chirping, water flowing, or other nature sounds that are relaxing.
– Mindful of Background Noise: Consider any sounds in the background that may be irritating, too loud, or confusing.
– Familiar TV Shows: Play TV shows they know, as the familiar music and characters can be comforting, even if they don’t follow the plot.
– Faith-Based Activities: Faith can be very comforting. Provide opportunities to join faith-based activities like services, hymns, readings, prayers, or visits if appropriate. This can help your loved one stay connected spiritually.
Touch, Smell, and Taste:
– Touch: Use textured objects that are pleasant to touch, like a smooth stone, a stress ball, or a knitted scarf. These can help with sensory stimulation and relaxation.
– Smell: Use familiar scents that evoke positive memories, such as essential oils, fresh baked goods, or fresh flowers or herbs. Incorporate smells associated with different seasons, for example, cinnamon and pine for winter.
– Taste:
– Offer meals and snacks that your loved one has always enjoyed.
– Prepare dishes using recipes that have been passed down through the family.
– Include ingredients and spices that are commonly used in their cultural or regional cuisine.
– If possible, involve your loved one in simple cooking tasks. The process of preparing food can stimulate memories and provide a sense of accomplishment.
Incorporating familiar elements through sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste, can create a comforting and supportive environment for people living with dementia.
Making an environment feel familiar gives your loved one a sense of:
I am comfortable and at ease here.
4. Forgiving: Embracing Positivity and Flexibility
A forgiving environment values positive experiences more than striving for perfection.
Is a perfectly set table, neatly folded clothes, or impeccable attire more important than sharing a joyful, positive experience?
Adjusting your expectations and prioritizing the experience and the relationship over rigid standards allows your time together to flourish.
Positivity:
The word “yes” conveys positivity, forward-thinking, and acceptance. In contrast, “no” can lead to self-doubt and negative emotions. Foster an environment filled with positive opportunities and remove anything that might prompt the need to say, “No, don’t do that,” or “Don’t touch that.”
Reinforce the idea that it’s okay to make mistakes. Celebrate small successes, efforts, and participation to boost confidence and well-being.
Flexibility:
With dementia comes change. Adapting to this change and having a willingness to adjust your agenda will enhance everyone’s well-being. Let’s learn to let go of the agenda and adapt as things may not always go as planned.
Embrace flexibility and the imperfect moments, appreciating the value they bring to your shared experiences.
Making an environment feel forgiving gives your loved one a sense of:
I can make mistakes here and it will be okay.
Conclusion
By implementing these principles of friendliness, functionality, familiarity, and forgiveness, you can create a supportive home that enhances the quality of life for your loved one living with dementia.
These approaches promote dignity and comfort, ensuring your loved ne feels valued and respected in their environment.
Sources: Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach to Care® and blog by Dr. Rocío Arias, MD, MS: https://teepasnow.com/blog/how-to-create-dementia-friendly-spaces/
We hope this information is helpful to you in the important work you do as a family caregiver.
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