Health Tip: Make Home Safer for Alzheimer's

People with Alzheimer's disease may wander or forget how to use household appliances such as a stove, making home a more dangerous place.

The Alzheimer's Association discusses how to make home safer:

• Install Dutch doors or folding doors to limit access to areas such as the kitchen.
• Post a list of emergency contacts, including phone numbers of local hospital, police and fire departments, and the poison-control hotline.
• Inspect devices such as smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers to make sure they are working properly.
• Remove any firearms from the home, and keep medications out of the person's reach.
• Reduce tripping hazards by providing plenty of lighting and picking up clutter.
• Set the water heater temperature lower to avoid burns.