Aging in place with dementia
Key points
- Familiar home environment preserves function and reduces decline; moving can cause a drastic drop in abilities.
- Try strategies again as dementia progresses—what failed before may work now.
- Introduce new caregivers slowly, with a positive spin, to overcome resistance.
- Use a toileting schedule, visual calendars, and daily anchor rituals to reduce accidents and anxiety.
- Accept help from others and delegate specific tasks to prevent burnout.
- Plan ahead for legal, financial, and emergency needs while your loved one can still participate.
General caregiving information, not medical advice. Check medications and major care changes with your clinician.
Step-by-step
Set a toileting schedule every two hours, using a timer or alarm as a reminder, even if the person says they don't need to go.
Introduce a new caregiver gradually: have them visit briefly while you are present and interacting warmly, then extend stay time over multiple visits before leaving the person alone with them.
Practical tools
Two-hour toileting schedule
Use a timer or alarm to prompt bathroom visits every two hours, preempting accidents in dementia.
Discuss with your clinician
Ask your loved one's doctor about a referral to an occupational therapist for a home safety evaluation. They can recommend specific equipment like grab bars, shower chairs, or bed alarms.
Discuss with the doctor whether a palliative care team would be appropriate now. Palliative care is not just for end of life; it can help manage symptoms and improve quality of life in mid-stage dementia.
Ask about medications that might help with specific symptoms like agitation, sleep problems, or depression. Never start or stop medications without medical guidance.
If your loved one has frequent falls or wandering, ask the doctor about a referral to a physical therapist for balance training and a neurologist for medication adjustments.
Discuss advance care planning: a Medical Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment (MOLST) form, a healthcare proxy, and a living will. These documents should be completed while your loved one can still participate in decisions.
Related guides
- Pandemic safety adaptations for home caregiving
- incontinence supplies and products
- finding and screening an in-home care provider
- Protecting Yourself From Caregiver Burnout: A Practical Guide for Dementia Families
- Choosing Meaningful Activities for Someone with Dementia: A Caregiver’s Guide to Purposeful Engagement
- supporting safe walking and managing missing incidents
- essential legal documents for dementia and naming decision-makers
- Finding and Paying for Respite Care: A Practical Guide for Dementia Caregivers
- Palliative care access for dementia versus other conditions
- Dementia sensory simulation exercises for caregivers