Care givers and professionals believe that Alzheimer sufferers are much happier in their own environment for as long as it is possible to keep them there.
Once they are moved to a strange environment their acute confusion becomes much worse and more apparent to often distressed relatives and friends.
It is vital that absolutely nothing is moved or changed around the home as moving a single piece of furniture can disorientate them and make their confusion worse.
However, if their routine continues undisturbed, they will be able to function normally and remain continent, eat, go to bed and care for themselves within the comfort of a familiar pattern.
This is why admitting someone with Alzheimer's disease to hospital should only be done as a last resort as it will deprive them of the last precarious hold on reality and independence.
The busy bustling environment of a hospital can become frightening and confusing and make a patient appear as if they their condition has suddenly deteriorated.
This can lead carers and friends to blame the hospital for the fact that their relative or friend appears so different, but it's usually because the patient has been able to mask their fading memory and skills in the comfort of familiar surroundings.
When torn out of their comfort zone their problems become frighteningly apparent.
They not only become tearful and depressed but can also become incontinent and refuse to eat.
This is why home visits for people suffering from Alzheimer's are so important to ensure that have resettled safely into their home routines and environment after a necessary stay in hospital.
