ramps for seniors with dementia

There comes a time when adapting the home to the condition of your dementia patient becomes crucial. The minute we introduced a walker into our house, I had to take up most of the rugs, particularly in the bedroom and halls. I also noticed that my mother was more and more apprehensive of making the one step down to the garage or to the patio, and I always was there "just in case". I hadn't really thought about a ramp because my mother, as most dementia patients, hates change and didn't want to change the appearance of her home, particularly as, in her mind, she had not changed so there was no need to. Nevertheless, her legs were weakening from the lack of activity and she had neither the strength nor the balance to make the step easily.

Of course when she later temporarily lost the use of her legs and had to spend 3 weeks in rehab, we had a serious problem. I constructed a temporary ramp out of old second-hand murder mysteries (thank goodness we are avid readers!) with roofing tiles laid over them. I wish I had taken a picture! It was pretty solid, but definitely temporary. Even the handyman had to admire it. Thank goodness he was able to put together an excellent one in an afternoon. Ours is wood which is no problem since it is inside the garage, and it is made specifically to our requirements: it is quite wide so that my mother doesn't fall off while trying to get around the dogs and it is a VERY gentle slope so that she doesn't balk at using it on her own. She feels much more independent with it: she can go sit outside to watch the dogs in the yard (she is afraid they will somehow get out the gate). Fortunately my mother does not have the wandering problems associated with Alzheimer's.

While I had not been able to find an appropriate ramp in the stores near us, I subsequently found that they are readily available on the Web. My favorite Allegro Medical Supply has quite a nice choice of ramps according to your personal needs and at good prices.

We were able to have one made reasonably ($100) by a handyman whom we had already had dealt with. If you don't know a handyman though, I can suggest that you contact your local Alzheimer's Association. They will most certainly be able to refer you to a "senior assistance and referral network" which will guarantee that the people you are put in contact with are "Elder Friendly" businesses. This is particularly reassuring when you come from out of state and don't know how or where to start.

Bathroom facilities for seniors

Oddly enough, Medicare will not contribute to bathroom facilities except under some extreme duress conditions such as there being no toilet on the same floor and the patient being bedridden. Here again, I can only recommend that you think long-term in the matter of what sort of toilet facilities you are going to get. Paying a bit more the first time is better than paying twice.

While we were at the hospital after my mother's fall, she could not even help the nurse and myself to get her from the bed to the toilet so we used a "3-in-1 commode". This is a portable john with raised handles and a removable pan. It can be installed over a regular toilet without the pan.

Even after two weeks in rehab, it was obvious that she needed help to lower herself onto the toilet seat because the one bar fixed to the wall was not helpful enough. She was a bit offended when she got home and saw that I had installed a 3-in-1 commode over her toilet, but when she realized that she could now use it by herself thanks to the raised handles, she was quite appreciative and got used to it quickly. The advantage is that, should she ever become bedridden again, I will already have the rest of the equipment (the pan and lid) right there so that I can put it next to her bed and use it as a real commode. My only advice here would be to measure your ordinary toilet seat. Some are particularly elongated, so it is best to get the appropriate size for everyday usage.