Creating a Dementia-Friendly Home: Early Steps for Long-Term Comfort and Safety

Creating a safe, supportive home environment before a crisis arises is one of the most important steps you can take to promote independence, mobility, and peace of mind. This guide offers practical, budget-friendly tips for modifying your home, helping you and your loved one with dementia age in place with dignity and safety in mind.

Hallways & Doors

• Is the doorway leading to accessible spaces at least 32" wide? Relevant with assisted walking, walkers, and wheelchairs.

• Are hallways free of steps or abrupt vertical changes over 1/4"? If not, mark change with bright tape and consider additional lighting if needed. More options in the catalog.

• Does at least one door to each accessible space have door hardware (levers, pulls, panic bars, etc.) usable with one hand, without tight grasping, pinching or twisting of the wrist?

Replace knobs early, particularly on paths with high activity, such as a garage door making them easy to open by elbow when hands are full

• Does the door to each accessible space have at least 18" of clear floor space on the latch side for people who use wheelchairs, walkers and other mobility aids to approach and pull open?

Making your home ready to support your changing needs.

Bathrooms

• Does each accessible toilet have a horizontal grab bar on the adjacent side wall at least 40" long and between 33" and 36"above the floor for stabilization and assistance during transfer from a wheelchair?

• Standard toilets can often be too low, making it hard on aging legs and joints. A raised, removable toilet seat can help by adding extra height—just be sure it's stable and, if needed, includes secure handles for support. If helping your loved one up and down is becoming difficult, a motorized toilet lift may offer a more supportive, hands-free solution.

• Is the faucet easily operable with one hand, without tight grasping, pinching or twisting of the wrist?

• Is there a shower spray unit with a hose that is at least 60" long and that can be used both as a fixed shower head and as a handheld shower?

• A quick option is a slip over handheld shower head with 6' hose can be attached to the tub or to a sink. This requires very little adaption and is inexpensive.

• Verify roll-in showers are free of curbs or lips at the shower floor that would impede wheelchair approach and transfer onto the folding shower seat. If not a very simple suction grip bar or for those with limited mobility, a sliding bench.

Bedrooms

• Is there at least a 36"-wide route on each side of the bed and at the foot of the bed to allow people who use wheelchairs to transfer onto the bed from either side? For movement limited loved ones, a bed tucked rail can assist from bed to standing.

• Widely available digital thermostats can preschedule the home temps and can be adjusted and checked by caretakers while not in the home and from anywhere in the home via an app.

Safety Locks & Elopement Prevention

• Door Knob Lock Covers. These slip over standard door handles and require a squeeze-and-turn motion that can be hard for someone with dementia to manage, but easy for caregivers.

• Top-of-Door Flip Locks. Installed at the very top of the door (well out of sight and reach), these flip locks are subtle and secure. They’re a great choice for main exits.

• Electronic Keypad Deadbolts. For external access, automatically lock and give access to trusted caregivers only.

Affiliate Disclaimer: All catalog products are affiliate links which means we may receive a commission for purchases.