Program of Excellence Award
2009 Recipient - Erie County Department of Senior Services
Caregiver Resource Center
Alzheimer's Proofing Your Home
Noting the need for a home safety assessment unique to those caring for someone with memory impairment, this program was developed over a two year period and launched in 2006. The APYH (Alzheimer's Proofing Your Home) assessment tool and the "Tips for Alzheimer's Proofing Your Home" booklet were created from information gained from Project C.A.R.E.S. (Caregiver Adaptations to Reduce Environmental Stress from the National Resource Center on Supportive Housing and Home Modification) and Mark L. Warner, author of the Complete Guide to Alzheimer's Proofing Your Home, Purdue University Press c 2000 by Ageless Design, Inc. Written permission has been grated the CRC by Purdue University Press to use this information as long as no fee is charged. To date, 77 APYH visits have been completed with an overwhelmingly positive satisfaction rating from the caregivers.
Caregivers often struggle with ways to keep their loved ones with dementia in a safe, yet stimulating home environment. The APYH program provides caregivers with information customized to their individual caregiving situations. It looks at safety, convenience and activity issues, but does not overlap into Occupational or Physical Therapy areas. An Outreach Aide conducts a walk through evaluation of the home using an APYH assessment tool. After noting areas in the home where environmental modifications may be beneficial, the aide then demonstrates some of the assistive devices available to make the lives of people with dementia and their caregivers easier and safer. At the conclusion of the home visit, the caregiver is given a copy of the "Tips for Alzheimer's Proofing Your Home" booklet and other helpful literature. The Outreach Aide also generates a personalized summary report which is mailed to the caregiver along with any other resources that could be helpful.