No this is not a plug for Harrison Ford – it is an attempt to consider risk in our household.  I have just found my wife trying to turn a hot plate off on the cooker.  Her efforts have resulted in all hot plates being switched on. Checking up on me is nothing new:  I frequently fail to turn the heat off after my efforts in the kitchen.  I am in such a rush to down my creations that I often leave the kitchen overheating.  So the activity is not new but her ability to make things safe has diminished and in fact she has made things worse.  This has caused me to reflect on the risks that are around with her current presentation.

There is little doubt that her functional capacity  fluctuates.  Sometimes she appears to be lucid and completely in control of her thoughts and action.  At others we are at the other end of the spectrum and she has little idea what is going on.  Last night was a prime example of her brain misfiring and confusion being predominant.

The flood earlier in the week was another example of her brain misfiring.  Water pouring over the kitchen floor and she had little idea how to stem the tide.  If I hadn’t intervened there may have been significant damage to more than her ego. So where does all this leave us?  What are the clear and present dangers?   How can we have a life with dementia and minimise risk?

There is a balance to be struck in our plans.  It is not possible to eliminate all levels of risk.  However, it is important for me to continually assess how my wife is at any particular moment in time.  Get it wrong and things will get wet, overheat or even worse.  In short, all I can do is stay by her side as much as possible prompt and mirror safe behaviour.  I think the time has arrived to discourage her from going out on her own.  It is no longer safe to leave her to her own devices for more than a few minutes.  So no more dozing or popping out to the shops for an hour or so for me.