The principal author of this pamphlet is Beverly Evans, MPH, OTR and Chief, Occupational Therapy Section of the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota. The world seems confusing, even frightening. The person becomes less and less able to recall what things are and how they work, what is dangerous and what is safe. He or she loses both adult judgment and the physical skills to perform adult tasks. These abilities are not lost all at once.
Different ones decline below safe levels at different times.
As a result, judging when an impaired person's activities pose a danger to self or others becomes a hard task for the caregiver. Some things that may become dangerous come to mind at once. These are complex tasks using equipment which could be dangerous. Tasks like driving, cooking on a stove, working with power tools and using guns or sharp tools are among these. Some activities such as smoking seem simple enough but require great caution.