Alzheimer's

my dad is in the early stages but is already forgetting about saftey as far as letting people in the house. he still opens the door to strangers. is there anything to use to lock the door. mom is there but might be in another room.

Good question, Sunsetgirl. Let me see if any of our Expert Caregivers (Carol, Dorian, or Jacqueline) have any ideas for you. In the mean time, feel free to send them questions by emailing to feedback@ouralzheimers.com.

Thanks,
Sarah

I was wondering if someone came up with some answers on this? thanks

That is a good (and frustrating) question, Sunsetgirl. I assume the door has a peephole. If it doesn't, that would be good for your mom, and they aren't horribly expensive to have installed.

What I would look into is a lock, perhaps low on the door,that your dad wouldn't think to open. Or even more than one, if necessary. They don't have to be too hard for your mom, physically, just tricky enough so your dad may not think to open them. It would at least buy your mom some time.

More extreme would be a lock placed on the outside of the door, but then your mom would have to go out another door to open it, and it could be a danger if they had to leave the house quickly, say because of a fire.

I hope you get some other suggestions. I'll be watching for them. Everyone has different experiences.

Remember to take care of yourself. You've got a long journey ahead, and it's a good habit to start early.
Carol

I had the same problem with my father! I did what Carol suggested--a lock down low that he couldn't get to very easily. You can also put a battery remote doorbell on the outside of the door, so it rings by your mom's bed in case she is asleep and doesn't hear it. I would also put a big sign on the inside of the door, 'STOP, DO NOT OPEN!' to help to remind him not to open it.

thanks for the reply Jacqueline-- I told mom it is going to be like caring for a 2 year old in a way except dad isn't going to remember. He can be so stubborn too. I guess the door lock is the best way to go. He would probably ignore the stop sign. take care.

the other thing too about the lock is he would probably figure it out. I know we took the keys to the riding mower away so what did he do? he jumped it off from the car. ha! he was mad mad at us taking the keys away too.

The fact that they remain so clever is one thing that makes it so miserable for everyone. It becomes a game of cat and mouse! Sometimes, sabotage is the only answer. As I mentioned, a low lock may help - perhaps one that can only be unlocked with a key that your mother could keep?

Would a tension lock work? That way your mom wouldn't need a key.

I know that this is frustrating. My mom was a very handy person (she used to fix sewing machines at her small business). But in what was probably a mid-early stage of AD, Mom started forgotting how to do the simplest things (like how to unlock the car's door with the keyless entry), so some of the more simple methods may (unfortunately) work sooner than you expect. It depends on what stage your dad is in...

Good luck!!

Dorian Martin

Dorian's right. The stage makes all the difference. It seems to be a cat and mouse game with the caregiver always trying to stay one step ahead.