Question

An OTR® in home health care is seeing a client who has Stage III Alzheimer's disease. The client lives with an adult daughter and likes to wander around the house and has fallen twice in the middle of the night. The house is a single-level home with both front and back entrances. It has five steps at the back door leading to the garage, with railings on both sides, and has no step at the front entrance. The client's daughter is determined to have the client remain at home with her as long as possible. The daughter has expressed fear that the client might fall down the stairs at the back door while wandering. To prevent the client from using the back door, what would the OTR® MOST likely recommend?

A. Painting a big "STOP" sign on the back door
B. Painting the door yellow to contrast with the environment
C. Using a poster to camouflage the back door and the door knob
D. Installing a motion-detecting light at the stairs to the garage

Answer 1

The OTR® is most likely to recommend camouflaging the back door with a poster to prevent the client with Alzheimer's from wandering outside and risking a fall on the stairs.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Occupational Therapist Registered (OTR®) working with a client who has Stage III Alzheimer's disease and is prone to wandering would likely recommend using a poster to camouflage the back door and the door knob. This strategy is known as a visual barrier technique and can help to prevent the client from recognizing the door as an exit, thereby reducing the risk of falls.

The poster can disguise the back door sufficiently to dissuade the client from attempting to navigate potentially hazardous stairs. Painting a STOP sign or using contrasting colors might not be effective for someone with cognitive impairment, as it may not deter the behavior, and an alarm or motion-detecting light could be disorienting or distressing for the client.