Would you take that step if I asked you to?
How much do you trust me?
Do you ever have a dream where you’re falling? When it happens to me, I always step off a curb into a puddle on the blacktop and my foot just keeps going: I fall and fall, and wake up shouting. What’s your variation?
The fear of falling is deeply ingrained in us, and for people with dementia it can show itself when the flooring changes. Here are a few reasons why crossing changing thresholds can be difficult:
Visual perception issues: this can make it harder for them to perceive changes in flooring or distinguish the edge of a threshold, potentially leading to difficulty in crossing it.
Physical limitations: lower limb weakness, which is common in patients with dementia, can make it challenging to step over even small obstacles like thresholds.
Cognitive processing: dementia affects the ability to plan and execute movements. Crossing a threshold requires the brain to process the change in environment and adjust movement accordingly.
Spatial awareness: dementia can impact a person's spatial awareness, making it harder to judge distances or changes in floor level. This can make thresholds appear as obstacles or create confusion about how to navigate them.
Balance issues: many people with dementia experience problems with balance and coordination. Stepping over a threshold, even a small one, requires good balance, which may be compromised in individuals with dementia.
All of these factors can pile up into a spot where your loved one might feel like taking the next step might be going off a cliff. This accounts for the reason why they may be hesitant to step onto a different colored flooring or step into the bath or shower. Here are a few measures you might want to consider if your loved one is experiencing difficulty crossing thresholds.
Use similar floor tones throughout spaces to reduce the perception of steps or barriers.
Ensure threshold strips are the same color as the rest of the floor surface.
Avoid bold color changes between rooms.
Use matte finishes instead of shiny surfaces to prevent the appearance of wetness.
Utilize changes in texture rather than color to indicate important transitions, such as the top and bottom of stairs.
Remember to be sensitive to how your loved one is viewing things. To them, it may look like a dangerous situation. If you can see it through their eyes and more accurately address the worry they feel, you’ll have better success in helping them and have a smoother experience yourself.
