Last winter, I had to place my mom (she is 84 and was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s a year ago) in a nursing home. She has been miserable, so as the only child, I have rearranged my life and will be bringing mom to live with me next month. I have been living by myself since my husband passed away two years ago. My house is one-story; I am giving mom the master suite that has an attached bathroom with a walk-in shower. The bedrooms are carpeted; the bathrooms are tiled; the living areas have hardwood floors. Please help me prepare my home for mom’s safety.

A: Congratulations on your decision; of course your life will change and there will be difficult days – but the rewards will be substantial. Your home sounds like the ideal place for your mom, not just because it is one-story and has a walk-in shower, but because you have chosen to make room for her. Overall, that is the most important consideration.

Certainly, safety is also important and you are wise to address this issue. Your first step should be conducting a thorough home-safety inspection. Feel free to ask a friend (possibly someone who has caregiving experience) to assist you. Begin outside your home. Pretend your mom has just arrived and assess her ability to safely enter the home. If she will be using a wheelchair (now or in the future) will you need to widen a doorway or install a ramp?

Then go room-to-room, scrutinizing for possible hazards. Scatter-rugs on hardwood floors are an invitation to slips and falls. It is best to remove them. Use of nonskid wax on floors is also recommended. It is a good idea to de-clutter the house, leaving plenty of room to walk between furniture and removing potentially hazardous objects such as a glass-topped coffee table. Electrical cords should be located where they will neither be pulled on nor tripped over.

If your mom is still able to help you in the kitchen, allowing her to do so will be good therapy. You will need to supervise closely and may choose to install “childproof” latches on drawers where you store knives or any gadgets you consider unsafe.

Bathrooms require a lot of attention. Grab bars should be installed in the shower and near the toilet. Use nonskid strips in the shower. Remove potentially dangerous products (including medications and cleaning supplies) and store them in a locked cabinet elsewhere. Put away electrical appliances (such as a hair dryer). If you do not have a way to unlock the door from the outside, it is best to remove the lock. A danger you cannot see is water that is too hot. Make sure the thermostat on your water heater is at or below 120 F.

In her “master suite” (bless you for this sweet sacrifice), adjust the bed height if needed for accessibility as well as safety. Consider using a monitoring device that may prove especially helpful at night. Install night-lights here and throughout the house.

A laundry room with a locked door is ideal. This provides a safe place to store cleaning supplies as well as prevents tampering with the washer and dryer. Check to make sure all window and door locks are working properly. If your mom is prone to wander, place deadbolt locks out of her reach, either high or low, on exterior doors.

By no means are these guidelines exhaustive, but they should help you get started as you prepare your home for your mom. Many blessings to you as you embark on this journey.

CARING TIP: Home Safety for People with Alzheimer’s Diseaseis a free publication from the National Institute on Aging that can be downloaded and printed.