Living with someone as they get older can come with its own set of challenges. But if the person that you’re living with has Alzheimer’s and you’re not ready to move them into an assisted living facility yet, there are things that you’ll want to do within your home to help make this space easier for them to live in.
To help you see how this can be done and show you what changes you can and should make to your home, here are three tips for sharing your home with someone who has Alzheimer’s.
Keep Things Comfortable And Familiar
People who have memory issues like with Alzheimer’s usually do best when they are in places where they feel comfortable and that have things that are familiar to them, even if they can’t seem to always remember what these things are for themselves. Because of this, you should seek out things in your shared home that your loved one is partial to and then make sure that you keep those things in the same place at all times.
As you do this, your loved one will be much more likely to feel safe and comfortable in the home. With photos of people that are important to them in their lives and mementos that have meant a lot to them in the past being openly displayed and spoken about, you can help your loved one feel more secure in this space.
Try To Build In More Flexibility
Living with Alzheimer’s can make it hard for your loved one to stay consistent with their emotions. Little things can set them off and send the rest of the day into a tailspin.
Because of this, it’s important that you try to build flexibility into your days so that, if something happens that you hadn’t planned for, you and your loved one can easily pivot and just take the day as it comes. Some of the ways you can get your home prepared for this flexibility can include things like keeping necessary items on-hand at all times.
Find Ways To Distract Them
When things do get hard while living with your loved one with Alzheimer’s, something that can help to make things easier is to find ways to distract them. This can be especially helpful if something has happened to set them off or get them upset.
The way that you’ll want to go about distracting your loved one will vary. But if you can have a place in your home where you keep things that you know your loved one enjoys doing and helps them to relax, like looking at photos of animals or watching the wind in the trees, this can help to reset them and their emotions.
If you’re sharing a home with someone who has Alzheimer’s, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you set up your home in such a way that some things in life will become easier or simpler for both of you.
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