Mirrors and Windows - Temporary solutions

This post has nothing to do with coconut oil!

Many people with Alzheimer's have an interesting interaction with mirrors, windows and other reflective surfaces, sometimes pleasant and other times not so pleasant. This may be more prominent in the evening when dark windows may present disturbing images. We have seen some of this in Steve with glass doors and windows facing our courtyard that were not covered with curtains. He feels like there are a lot of people/strangers in the room when he sees reflections in a dark window.

In our kitchen, we put up sheer cafe curtains with a spring rod that can easily be readjusted to any height. The curtains are positioned so that the top is just above his eye level. For the glass doors I also put up sheers that are positioned to allow light to come in above and below, but again reach to just above eye level to eliminate the reflection.

There is also privacy film that can be placed on mirrors or windows as an easier solution than taking down the mirrors. We used some of this on the sidelights to our doors. I have found this at stores such as Home Depot, and Bed Bath and Beyond. There are two types - one is very much like holiday window decorations, that sticks easily to the surface and peels right off. There is another type, much harder to install, that requires spraying the surfaces with water then burnishing out the bubbles with a squeegy; this is much more difficult to use and would probably be a nightmare to remove as well. Both types have a number of different patterns available.

In restaurants, the person may be more comfortable if facing away from any dark reflective windows, if at all possible. If you are in a restaurant and your loved one becomes unsettled, consider the possibility that window reflections could be the issue.