Safety

As a carer looking after someone with Dementia, one of the challenges you will face is how to find the right balance between protecting them from the risks to their own safety, (and the safety of others), while at the same time encouraging them to be independent. The person with Dementia should be involved in decision making and their consent obtained whenever possible. There is no such thing as a entirely risk free environment for anyone, and for someone living with dementia, minor accidents are to be expected. As a carer you will need to take safety measures in order to reduce the risks and maximise the amount of independence they can experience.

Prevention

People who have Dementia may find it increasingly difficult to look after themselves. The condition can affect each individual in different ways, so as a carer, it is a challenge to identify and adapt things to cater for the changes in the person's behaviour. Prevention is an important aspect of providing care and support even though we cannot predict what may happen on a day to day basis. Accidents can happen in the most secure environments, but you can minimise the risks. Checking the safety of your home may help you to identify some potential hazards and adapting your environment, surroundings, or caring practices is a lot easier than changing the behaviour of the person you are caring for. By minimizing the hazards you will also in turn help to maximise the independence so that they can enjoy, making the home a safer and less restrictive place to live.

Assessment

Assessments should be carried out on anindividual basis and determine what is safe and what is a potential risk to the person with Dementia and also their carer. Having a diagnosis of Dementia can limit a person's ability to idebtift potential risks and make a sound judgement of the situation. You will need to be able to respond to the changes in their capabilities and review your assessment of risk on a regular basis.

Accidents

As people get older, physical difficulties and mobility problems can make it harder for them to carry out their daily activities. In addition to this, a person with Dementia may be affected to the extent where they are not aware that what they are doing is potentially hazardous to themselves or others. This is why accidents could be more likely to occur when you are caring for someone with Dementia. If an accident does occur, a person with Dementia may not understand what is happening and may become distressed or agitated. As a carer, you should always have a list of emergency numbers to hand should an accident happen, and have a plan on how to keep the person with Dementia comfortable and calm, until you have dealt with the emergency, or help arrives.

Stay Calm - Don't Stress

As a carer, you should always try to take care of yourself. If you are tired or stressed it can affect your judgement and performance when dealing with any accidents or emergencies. If something occurs - stay calm and focused. This will also help keep the person you are caring for calm. If you panic, they will no doubt become agitated and frightened and this will only make the situation worse.

Ask For Help

Do not be afraid to ask for help when trying to assess potential hazards or look for ways to improve the safety aspects of caring for someone with Dementia. There are lots of places that can give you help and advice. However, an occupational therapist (OT) can advise you on the full range of ways to make your home safer, and on equipment to support the person with dementia. To see a selection of what equipment is available, please download the PSS Assistive Technology Catalogue.