Hi, My dad has moderate Alzheimer's and has had a few falls this year. He broke some bones in one fall. I have read that Alzheimer's patients are more prone to falling. He currently lives in a nice facility but my brother is trying to convince to move into his home. The problem is that my brother lives in a very old house with steep stairs, so that my Dad would have to walk up and down that stairs. I am concerned he could trip and fall. It doesn't seem like the safest environment for him, especially considering that he is in a good environment that is safe. I also do not think Dad will get the mental stimulation at my brother's home that he would get in the facility where he's at, because my brother and his wife both work. The facility offers many daily activities and lots of opportunities for Dad to socialize. It seems like Dad would be sitting at home alone a lot at my brother's place-- and what about if he fell down the stairs while they weren't there? Where do I voice my concerns about this possible move? Are there authorities who check out the safety of living arrangements for elders? My brother won't listen and Dad doesn't have the cognitive ability to understand.
But who gets to make that decision? Who has Power of Attorney? Who is Medical Proxy? Are these documents in place? If not, is your father still lucid enough to understand what it means to give someone authority to act on his behalf?
Has a doctor advised that Dad needs 24-hour supervision? (Most people with dementia do at a very early point in the progression.) Does your brother have plans to hire someone to be with Dad while he and his wife works?
Aging can cause falls, when you think about it, if a parent wears bifocal glasses, they are looking through the reading lenses when looking down, thus everything is blurry. It's hard for them to look through the distance lenses as they would need to put their head further down to the chin and that doesn't help with balance.
If that was my Dad, I would keep him in the facility as he probably has made friends there, likes his room, likes the meals, etc. Pulling him out would cause more confusion that might not go away. Being home alone is a bad idea. Your brother needs to think what is the best interest for his Dad, not to use him as a pawn to help save money [unless money has turned into a real issue].
Even if Dad can get along on his own all day now (which sounds pretty iffy) he will not be able to as the dementia progresses. It really sounds like he should stay right where he is.