10 Steps to Combat Confusion About Time or Place

Be sure there are visual cues such as clocks and calendars in plain sight to help orient your loved one to time. The easier to read, the better. Choose digital clocks with large numbers. And use wall calendars with days past crossed out, or use single-day calendars.

Hang signs on rooms (“bathroom,” “bedroom”) and everyday objects (“refrigerator,” “television”) to make daily tasks easier to navigate. You can also provide guidance inside your house with directional arrows.

If you’re worried about wandering, or a potential tumble down stairs your loved one forgets are behind a basement door, for example, put safety gates in entryways where these pitfalls may be. 

Stock your loved one’s daily living space full of photographs of familiar faces. In moments of confusion, photos of loved ones may help them feel comforted.

If your loved one goes on daily walks, or if you drive them to the same places regularly like the doctor or grocery store, choose the same route each time you go. The sameness of the walk or ride can provide comfort and help them feel more oriented to where they are. 

For daily activities such as meals, walks, bathing, and dressing, keep a routine and try not to change it. Knowing what to expect can help promote a sense of calm.

When the sun is out, let it into the living space so your loved one has a better sense of the time of day. As dusk settles, turn on lamps and create a nighttime feel, but keep it bright enough to help avoid “sundowning,” which can be worse in low light.

The sounds and lights from TV can be upsetting to someone who is feeling overwhelmed and confused by their surroundings. It also adds to their stimulation. Keep their bedroom a place of calm and quiet (and the rest of the house, if need be). 

An identity bracelet should have the name and address of your loved one on it, along with your phone number in case they’re lost. You may also want it to say “Alzheimer’s” or “dementia.” Some dementia-specific ID bands are made not to come off easily, so your loved one can’t remove it.

Use a daily pill organizer or other method to ensure that your loved one takes the meds they need. Keep dosing times on a schedule, so it’s less of a surprise each time you give them their pills.