important
stuff from the useless. Label containers to hold
objects that should be
kept in
the same place each night, such
as eyeglasses, keys, wallet or belt.
Only
keep foods in the refrigerator and cabinets that will
be used soon and
are easy
to prepare. A helper will need to
check food regularly to see that it is not
spoiled. Think of childproofing
as you might a young child. The Clorox bottle
looks like a gallon
of milk and cough syrup smells like candy.
Remove
any information you do not want the person to know
about. My mother
found a
flier in the mail about a motorized scooter
and ordered it. Fortunately, my
sister intervened and stopped the sale
before Mom took off for her exotic
vacation.
Safety
adaptations such as a bathtub seat, tub and toilet grab
bars and a
non-skid bathroom
mat are helpful for many elderly persons.
Loose
fitting clothing is easier to don, remove and wash, especially
sweat
pants with
elastic bands. Products are sold for the disabled designed
to minimize the need
to manipulate fasteners. My Mom had clothing
preferences that involved wearing
the same thing day after day. I bought
several identical sweaters in order to
wash them without her noticing. I also
made sure that all the pants
were of a
darker color and the tops were of a
brighter color, so that they would better
match.
My Mom
loves bright colors and this can be an asset when adapting
the
environment.
Make important objects bright colors. A red toilet seat might
make its function
more obvious. Color contrasts between furniture, walls and
carpeting make it
easier to see and avoid accidents. However, keep in mind,
less is best
and
clutter makes confusion. Provide good lighting and avoid
glare to help
the
confused person comprehend her environment.
A
lightweight mug with two handles was easier for my Mom to hold,
especially when
one of her medications caused tremors. Over time, large
handled utensils also
seemed to make dining easier.
People
with decreased strength or joint problems such as arthritis may
benefit
from
using lightweight pots and pans and using cookware that has two
handles. Individuals
with decreased coordination may benefit from weighted
utensils. However, finger
foods such as small pieces of sandwich can also ease
the problem of
poor
coordination. Adaptive devices such as large playing cards
and a card
holder
may make games more fun. Please see the appendix for
catalogs and web sites that
sell adaptive living products.
Other
adaptations and
considerations include:
