For families supporting a loved one with dementia, the goal is not just management, but preserving the person behind the diagnosis. Maintaining a sense of safety, routine, and independence at home is paramount. Occupational therapy (OT) offers practical, home-based strategies that can make a profound difference. This guide outlines five key OT approaches to help manage the daily challenges of dementia with compassion and confidence.
Key Takeaways
- Routine is anchoring: Establishing consistent daily rhythms can significantly reduce anxiety and ‘sundowning’ symptoms.
- Environment matters: Minor adaptations, particularly regarding lighting and colour contrast, can prevent falls and confusion.
- Carer support: OT is as much about supporting the family unit as it is the individual living with dementia.
In This Article
How Occupational Therapy Supports Dementia Care
An occupational therapist’s role in dementia care is to find practical solutions to the challenges that affect daily life. Rather than focusing on memory deficits alone, OT looks at the whole person and their environment.
The goal is to adapt tasks and surroundings to work with the individual’s current abilities. This “abilities-based approach” helps to maximise independence, reduce frustration for both the individual and their carers, and promote continued engagement in meaningful activities.
Five Practical OT Strategies for the Home
Implementing these strategies can help create a more supportive and manageable home environment. It is often best to introduce them gradually.
1. Establish Clear and Consistent Routines
Predictability helps to reduce anxiety and confusion. An OT can help you establish a simple daily schedule that provides a familiar rhythm. This is particularly helpful in managing “sundowning”—the confusion that often occurs in the late afternoon.
Try this: Use visual aids like a large-print calendar or a whiteboard with the day’s key activities. Digital clocks that clearly spell out the time of day (e.g., “Tuesday Afternoon”) can also provide crucial reference points and reduce cognitive load.
2. Adapt Daily Living Skills (ADLs)
The ability to manage self-care is fundamental to a person’s dignity. An OT can suggest simple but effective ways to make tasks like dressing or eating easier (known as ‘task segmentation’).
Try this: Lay out clothes in the specific order they should be put on. In the kitchen, use high-contrast crockery (e.g., a red plate on a white table) to make food more visible, as dementia can alter visual perception.
3. Make Simple Home Safety Modifications
A home assessment is key to preventing falls and other accidents. An OT will identify potential hazards that might not be obvious to the untrained eye.
Try this: Beyond removing loose rugs, look at floor contrast. A dark doormat on a light floor can sometimes be perceived as a “hole” in the ground by someone with dementia, causing them to freeze or trip. Ensure lighting levels are high and even throughout the home to reduce shadows.
4. Introduce Cognitive Stimulation
Engaging in enjoyable, simple activities helps to stimulate brain function and can improve mood. However, the activity must be pitched at the right level to avoid frustration.
Try this: Focus on “failure-free” activities tailored to past interests, such as sorting games with familiar objects (like buttons or socks), looking through photo albums, or listening to music from their youth. The goal is enjoyment and connection, not achievement.
5. Provide Carer Training and Support
Supporting a loved one with dementia can be challenging. A key part of an OT’s role is providing training and support for family and professional carers.
Try this: We can guide you on effective communication strategies (such as keeping questions simple) and techniques for safe moving and handling. Learning to manage difficult behaviours with empathy and patience is easier when you understand the physiological reasons behind them.
The information in this article is intended for general educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for a personalised assessment from a qualified healthcare professional. Please consult with a therapist for advice tailored to your specific condition.
Final Thoughts
Living well with dementia at home is often about making small, practical adjustments that add up to a big difference in safety and quality of life. Occupational therapy provides the expert guidance to identify and implement these changes effectively.
If you are struggling with a loved one’s changing needs, you don’t have to guess the best way forward. A specialist home visit from an occupational therapist can provide a comprehensive assessment of your unique situation.
