Laurie Owen: Hi, I am Laurie Owen from Home Instead Senior Care. Today I am talking about how to keep your loved one safe, people with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias becoming increasingly unable to take care of themselves. Being aware of the dangers they face and taking preventive action can reduce the likelihood of accidents and injuries. Some common mistakes are misunderstanding the mail or forgetting to pay bills, others are more dangerous such as starting an oven fire, drinking something toxic or forgetting to take medication. Alzheimer's disease and other dementias also can cause troubling behaviors. For example, your loved might get into an altercation, hoard, or hide important things or want to leave to look for something and run from you. Physical challenges may also increase the risk of falls, cause spilling accidents or render them unable to hear alarms or conversations. So how can you help?

The Home Instead Senior Care network recommends using the prevent system. P is to protect them from financial and health neglects by sorting mail and making sure they are taking their medications. R is for removing clutter and items that could cause harm, such as wires, loose rugs, magazines and space heaters. E is for your loved one environment and if needed modifying it by installing door locks, childproof electrical plugs and latches, automatic shutoffs and removing knobs from appliances. V is for visually inspecting everything to make sure no new dangers are present. E is to encourage your loved on to use hand rails and other safety devices to prevent falls. N is for navigating your loved one symptoms and being aware and flexible to meet new challenges. And lastly T is for talking to your loved one, doctors and other caregivers about any concerns you may have. Doing so may save their life.

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