For some individuals in the earlier stages of dementia, reminder signs can be very helpful. Use simple language and large-sized text, and place in the direct view of the person.

Depending on the person's habits, hang the reminder sign where they would most need it. For example, consider a sign that says "TURN STOVE OFF" right near the stove, and one that says "CHECK STOVE IS OFF" on the kitchen or front door.

Many people with dementia also have failing eyesight and can't see the stove's controls well enough to use it safely.

One thing you might do is to highlight the on/off controls with bright colors. For example, use a dot of bright red nail polish to mark the OFF location, and blue to mark the location of a medium-sized flame.

Even then, many people turn on the wrong burner and leave the kitchen with the flame under an empty pot. If this is due to low vision or mild forgetfulness, applying labels with large text to identify the front and back burners may help. Yellow flame-retardant electrical tape and a black magic marker pen work really well.

Supervision may still be required, especially in the later stages of the disease.

At some point in the disease, reminder signs will not be effective, so you'll need to apply other interventions.