A few well thought through home adaptations can make a huge difference to someone living with dementia, making it possible for them to live independently in their own home for much longer.
Traditionally however, funding to pay for such adaptations has tended to be restricted to those with physical disabilities.That is about to change though for 3 communities across Scotland chosen to take part in pilot projects to improve the homes, independence and confidence of people living with dementia.
Care and Repair, a charity who provide housing support across Scotland, has been granted funding of £1million, to target people living with dementia to ensure they receive equipment and adaptations to help them to continue to live within their own homes for as long as possible.
Specialised, dementia-friendly home adaptations
For people living with dementia, the need for equipment or adaptations can arise from a change in how they perceive their surroundings as a symptom of dementia – a flat path may appear slanted or a patterned carpet could cause dizziness and disorientation.
Adaptations can range from fitting handrails, improving lighting, changing floor coverings, removal or repositioning of mirrors, mounting signage on doors to give clearer direction and highlighting light switches and electrical sockets.
Reducing the risk of accidents
Small changes to the home environment like these have been shown to reduce falls, accidents and confusion. This can lead to an increase in confidence and independence, and even better physical health. Early intervention could also be less costly in the long run.
Many of the specific changes needed are preventative in nature and are enabling or re-enabling, and while these physical changes in the home need not be dramatic, often the improvements in well-being and confidence for a person with dementia can be significant.
Improving confidence
Assisting people to live at home rather than move into care or alternative housing enables people to retain neighbours who often give unpaid support and has also been proven to be more cost effective. For people living with dementia the need to remain in a known environment is not just a cost saving - it is beneficial to stop them falling, becoming more confused and keeping them as independent as possible.
The different enablement and adaptation works used and learning from this project will be cascaded throughout Scotland and hopefully influence future enablement works for all people living with dementia to have the choice to remain at home for as long as they can do so.’
Chief Exec of Care and Repair
The 3 pilot areas are to be Aberdeen, Angus, and Lochaber, Skye & Lochalsh, all chosen to reflect the different mix of city, urban, rural and remote demographies in Scotland.
Funding has come from the Life Changes Trust, an independent charity set up with a Big Lottery Fund endowment of £50 million to improve the lives of two key groups in Scotland: people affected by dementia and care experienced young people.
“We are so pleased to award this funding to support Care and Repair Scotland.
We all know how important it to so have somewhere to call home. Many older people with dementia have lived in the same place for numerous years and their homes provide reassurance, a safe space, and of course precious memories.
Often, small and early interventions can make the biggest differences - not just to the safety and suitability of a home, but to the confidence and independence of a person living with dementia, and by extension to those who care for them.
The longer a person with dementia can choose to live well and safely at home, the better quality of life they will have.’
Director of the Life Changes Trust dementia programme
Source : http://www.lifechangestrust.org.uk/
