Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction: About Alzheimer's disease
Chapter 1: Preparing Your Home
Developing a Plan
Strategies for Change
Identifying the Zones of Your Home
Planning Major Projects
Adding a Bathroom
Converting a Room
Preparing a Caregiver's Room
Adding a Washer/Dryer
Your Home's Interior Spaces
The Bathroom
The Kitchen
The Bedroom
Den, Family Room, and Living Room
The Dining Room
Offices, Workshops, Hobby Rooms
The Laundry Room
Attics, Basements, and Cellars
Hallways and Corridors
Stairs, Steps, and Railings
Doors and Windows
Floor Coverings
Drawers, Cabinets, and Closets
Your Home's Exterior and Yard
Making Your Home Easy to Find
Yard Hazards
Outdoor Pleasures
Dangerous Plants
Miscellaneous Suggestions
Storage Sheds and Garages
Patios, Decks, Porches, and Balconies
Chapter 2: Thinking-Related Issues
Loss of Short-Term Memory
Absentmindedness
Difficulty Finding Things
Signage
Organization
Difficulties with Multi-Sequential Tasks
Long-Term Memory
Self-confidence
Poor judgment, Indecision
Simplify the Environment
Create a Therapeutic Environment
Disorientation to Time and Place
Sense of Time
"Take Me Home"
Misinterpretations, Hallucinations, and Delusions
Visual Cliffing
Mirrors and Reflections
Fears
Fear of Bathing
Fear of Abandonment
Fear of Strangers
Fear of Incarceration
Suspicions and Accusations
Isolation and Loneliness
Depression
Patient Depression
Caregiver and Family Depression
Suicide
The Joy of Pets
Chapter 3: Behavioral Problems
Rummaging, Hiding, and Hoarding
Protect Your Valuables
Make It Easier to Find Lost Items
Create Places for Rummaging and Hiding
Eliminate Bad Places to Hide and Rummage
Agitation, Combativeness, Aggression, and Resistance
Environmental Pollution
Loss of Freedom and Access Denial
Rational and Irrational Fears
Catastrophic Reactions
Sundowning
Diversions
Picking at Things
Shadowing or Clinging
Repetitive Behavior
Eating Inappropriate Materials
Inappropriate "Sexual" Behavior
Spontaneous Vocalizations
Stalling
Chapter 4: Activities of Daily Living
Toileting
Bathing and Showering
Loss of Control
Privacy
Safety
Bathing Alternatives
Adjusting Water Temperature
Dressing
What to Wear
Dresser's, Drawers, and Closets
Putting Clothes on Correctly
Refusing to Get Undressed
Create a Special Dressing Area
Grooming
Create a Pleasant Grooming Area
Mirrors
Lighting
Socializing
Reminiscing
Communication Difficulties
Using the Telephone
Food Preparation
Eating and Dining
Create a Special Place at the Table
Accidents Happen
Housekeeping
Laundry
Medication Administration
"Going to the Office"
Windows and People Watching
Religious Activities
Hobbies
Exercise
Chapter 5: Wandering
Wandering Basics
Freedom to Wander
Causes of Wandering
Wandering in Search of
Wandering to Escape
Wandering with a Purpose
Aimless Meandering
Types of Wandering
Indoor Wandering
Outdoor Wandering
Nocturnal Wandering
Wandering Away from Home
Perimeters
Stage One Perimeter
Stage Two Perimeter
Stage Three Perimeter
Devices and Equipment
Wander-Alerting Systems
Hard Alarms
Soft Alarms
Motion Detectors
Notification Systems
Monitoring Equipment
Distance-Monitoring Equipment
Fall-Prevention Devices
Be Prepared, Just in Case
Chapter 6: Access Denial
Locks
Cabinets and Drawers
Doors
Outdoor Gates
Sliding Glass Doors and Windows
Special Areas of Your Home
Stairs
Appliances
The Stove
The Refrigerator
Alternative Methods
Remove the Danger
Make Concessions
Use Diversions
Camouflage
Hide the Locks
Child-proofing Devices
Multiple Barriers and Locks
Passive Barriers
Have a Backup Plan
Chapter 7: Incontinence
Environmental Incontinence
The "Easy" Chair
The Bathroom
Accessibility
Ease of Use
Safety
Comfort
Privacy and Dignity
Lack of Balance and Incontinence
Cognitive Incontinence
Making the Bathroom Easy to Find
Dealing with the Consequences
Creating a Home That Is Easy to Maintain
Making It Easier to Do Laundry
Controlling Odors
Chapter 8: Mobility
Disorientation and Wayfinding
Cues and Landmarks
Redundant Cuing
Minimizing Errors
Pathways
Instability and Falling
Canes and Walkers
Transferring, Lifting, and Getting Up
From the Easy Chair
From the Bed
Using the Toilet
Using the Bathtub or Shower
Lifts
Stairs and Stair Lifts
Wheelchairs
Accessibility
Ramps
Platform Lifts
Residential Elevators
Becoming Bed-bound
Making the Bedroom Safe and Comfortable
Bed Railings
"Windows to the World"
Chapter 9: Safety
Common Sources of Injuries
Burns
Cuts
Poisoning
Electric Shock
Drowning
Trips and Falls
Alzheimer's-Specific Dangers
Uninterrupted Supervision
Weapons in the Home
Wandering Away from Home
Driving
Nocturnal Wandering
Personal Space
Catastrophic Reactions
Avoiding Unpleasant Reminders
Grab Bars (and Railings)
Grab Bars as Diversions
Grab Bars as Guides
Grab Bars as Camouflage
Grab Bars as Warnings
Preventing Falls
Locations for Grab Bars
Types of Grab Bars
Shopping Tips
Installation
Products and Manufacturers
Appendix: Stages of Decline with Alzheimer's disease
Glossary
Suggested Reading
Index
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