While holiday celebrations may be different this year, safety concerns remain of utmost importance for those living with early onset Alzheimer’s disease. During the holiday season, special decorations may be displayed throughout the home that could pose a hazard to those with the disease. Additionally, care should be taken with special food and beverage items that may be delivered to the home from friends and family. Below are suggested steps to take to keep your holiday season safe for everyone.
Holiday Decorations
- Christmas trees, lights, menorahs, or other decorations should be secured so they do not fall or catch on fire.
- Trade out wick candles for LED candles. LED candles are beautiful and provide a beautiful candlelight glow without creating a fire hazard.
- Remove clutter (stacks of boxes, newspapers, magazines, wrapping paper, etc.) from hallways and walking pathways. Also make sure electric outlets or extension cords are placed away from these potentially flammable items.
- Avoid plugging multiple extension cords into each other.
- Ensure there are no electrical or extension cords running across walking areas or underneath carpets or rugs, as this can create tripping and fire hazards.
General Safety
- Ensure there are working smoke detectors located throughout the home.
- Keep flashlights easily accessible in each room of the home in case of a power outage.
- Keep a list of emergency telephone numbers in the kitchen (display on refrigerator) and also on the bedside table in the bedroom of your loved one.
- Keep areas free of clutter to decrease the risk of falling.
- Keep power tools and other dangerous equipment in a place that is not accessible to the person with early onset Alzheimer’s disease.
- Remove or lock up all poisonous household items. Colorful cleaning products may be mistaken for food.
- Use the brightest bulbs possible in lamps. This helps decrease shadows, which can be unsettling to the person with early onset Alzheimer’s disease.
- Remove throw rugs as they can be a trip-and-fall hazard.
- Use automatic night-lights in bedrooms, hallways and bathrooms to illuminate the pathway from the bed to the bathroom.
Kitchen
- Make sure there is a working fire extinguisher located in the kitchen.
- Clean out the refrigerator on a weekly basis and discard food items that have expired or are inedible.
- As the disease progresses, you may need to place knives and sharp objects out of reach or utilize safety devices, such as child-proof locks, to limit access to these items.
- Put all garbage out of sight.
- Keep cleaning supplies in a locked place.
- Remove spices or medicines from the counter.
- If alcoholic beverages are in the home, place them out of site or lock them in a cabinet.
- As the disease progresses, it may be necessary to remove the knobs from the stove or cover them so that the person in your care will not notice them.
We invite additional suggestions and ideas in the comments below, if you have found other helpful ways to avoid danger for individuals with early onset Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. We wish you and your loved ones a safe and happy holiday season.