Health and Safety: Making a person with alzheimer's annex safe and secure

This is an example of a report I had to do for my Care of the Elderly course. I think they will come in handy for anyone who care for a person with Alzheimers disease.

REPORT ON THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF SUSAN’S ANNEX

1.0 INTRODUCTION

What are we trying to achieve?

Following our conversation on the morning of the 4^th of August I have compiled an additional list of controls for Susan’s annex. The main aim is to make Susan’s living environment as safe as is reasonably practicable.  These recommendations are layout so that the living room and general precautions throughout the annex are dealt with first. These are followed by the control measures for the bathroom and bedroom. Combined, these solutions will ultimately improve Susan’s quality of life.

2.0 FINDINGS

2.1 Living room and general prevention measures:

·         Avoid the use of extension cords if possible, by placing lamps and appliances close to electrical outlets. Tack extension cords to the baseboards of a room to avoid tripping;

·         Cover unused electrical outlets with childproof plugs;

·         Check all rooms for adequate lighting;

·         Avoid clutter, which can create confusion and danger. Throw out or recycle newspaper and magazines;

·         Regularly keep all areas where people walk, free of furniture, to allow easy movement through each room and to reduce the risk of slips, trips and falls;

·         Remove all sharp implements from the annex and lock them up;

·         Remove all poisonous plants and inedible fruits;

·         Use door labels to identify the bedroom and bathroom this can reduce confusion when Susan becomes disorientated;

·         Cushioning added to sharp corners on furniture and cabinets to prevent bruising;

·         All household cleaning products should be locked away;

·         Fire safety is paramount; this can be achieved by getting fire extinguishers. I would suggest a Carbon dioxide (for electrical fires) and water extinguisher, emergency lighting can be installed in case of a fire at night;

·         Install fire and carbon monoxide detectors in the bedroom. Check their functioning and batteries frequently;

·         Emergency plans need to be in place to address all situations that pose serious and imminent danger;

·          Other family members and visitors should be encouraged to visit as they are a very important source of help and support for Susan and yourself. Having said this they should be accompanied as they may not fully understand the need for safety precautions, for example they may open a window and not relock it;

·         To reduce the risk of arson do not leave refuse bins outside the building other than collection days;

·         Never use portable heaters;

·         Label contents of drawers and cupboards;

·         Use an answering machine when you cannot answer phone calls, and set it to turn on after the fewest number of rings possible. Turn ringers on low to avoid distraction and confusion. Put all portable and mobile phones and equipment in a safe place so they will not be easily lost;

·         Check all locks on a weekly basis to ensure they are not defective;

·         Encourage her to do tasks that she loves but ensure she is supervised;

·         ID bracelet containing medical information and phone number should be worn at all times;

·         Place a decal on the glass of the windows to help her see the glass panes;

·         Lock some cupboards and drawers if necessary. Locks that are very visible may offend the person’s dignity or cause frustration, with this in mind choose a discrete model;

·         A checklist could be developed, I have attached an example, please feel free to add your own checks;

·         A dead bolt lock should be placed on the back door as it is not in use.

2.2 Bathroom

·         Safety grab bars in the shower;

·         Non-slip mats should be used;

·         Remove electrical appliances, including hair dryers, from the bathroom to reduce the risk of electrical shock;

·         Avoid white plastic toilet seats. Use contrasting colours for easier identification.

·         Use non-slip tiles;

·         Lock away toiletries after use;

2.3 Bedroom

·         Install a night light, ensuring that the light is very soft as a strong light may interfere with sleep and may confuse Susan into thinking it is daytime;

·         Install a monitoring device, a baby monitor will help you hear if Susan needs your help;

·         Do not use an electrical blanket because Susan could be incontinent and as a result be electrocuted;

·         Raising the height of the bed and using a firm mattress may assist the person to get on and off the bed more easily;

·         Put a soft mattress or pillows on the floor beside the bed to soften the fall from the bed;

·         In the interest of hygiene make sure toilet paper is easy to see and also put up a sign reminding them to use it, flush the toilet and wash their hands;

3.0 CONCLUSIONS

To summarise, this report has outlined the practical precautionary measures that can be put in place to make Susan more comfortable in her annex and to reduce your own stress around her safety and wellbeing. Some of the suggestions were as simple as keeping the place clutter free while others were a little bit more complex, thus there is a financial element to them. I have included recommendations which I think are beneficial.

4.0 RECOMMENDATIONS

Now all of these are recommendations and it is up to you if you want to make the changes. I understand that there is a financial element to this so I have made the following recommendations:

4.1 There are adaption grants available from the local authority.

4.2  The Alzheimer’s society is also a very useful resource in terms of information around resources.

4.3  A record of any accidents and/or near misses should be kept in order to modify some of the controls or introduce new measures.

4.4  Both day care and respite are available. Please consult the HSE website for eligibility and criteria.