What is assistive equipment?

Helpful devices include grab bars, a raised toilet seat with handrails, a plastic shower stool and hand-held shower head, nonskid mats, bed rails and other transfer aids. The National Institute on Aging lists these among home safety changes for people with Alzheimer's, along with safety knobs and an automatic shut-off switch on the stove, and a room monitor to alert you to a fall at night.

Medicare Part B covers some assistive devices as durable medical equipment when a doctor or other provider orders them for use at home. Medicare.gov lists canes, walkers, wheelchairs and scooters, commode chairs and hospital beds among covered items. After the Part B deductible you pay 20 percent of the Medicare-approved amount if the supplier accepts assignment, and the supplier must be enrolled in Medicare.

Memory aids are simple tools such as notes, clocks, calendars and photographs that help a person with dementia stay oriented and answer their own questions. The Alzheimer's Association suggests them when someone asks the same question again and again, as long as the items are still meaningful to the person. If they can still read, writing the answer down and posting it where they will see it may help.

Simple changes to dishes and utensils can help. The Alzheimer's Association suggests white plates or bowls on a contrasting place mat, a bowl or a plate with a rim instead of a flat plate, a spoon with a large handle, cups and mugs with lids, bendable straws, and a non-skid cloth or towel under dishes. Bite-sized finger foods also let the person keep feeding themselves.

Install grab bars near the toilet and on both the inside and outside of the tub and shower, and consider one near the front door for balance while locking or unlocking it. The National Institute on Aging recommends these spots in its room by room fall prevention advice. For a person with Alzheimer's, it suggests a grab bar in a color that contrasts with the wall, which is easier to see.