Follow
Share

My 97 year old mom has mid stage dementia and is in memory care at a very nice facility. She wants to go home to help HER mother take care of HER babies and packs her clothes that hang in her closet with sliding doors everyday and/or night. The doors are wood with just an inset knob to push back and pull forward so there is nothing to attach a keyed lock. The facility uses hook and eye latches to secure the closets which I replaced with a hook with a spring on it. Mom figured out how to unhook the latch so that idea was a bust. It has been months of myself and the associates sorting her clean from dirty laundry to dress her daily. Recently I put a footlocker in her room with a lock and provided the staff with the key. I was informed the trunk was a safety hazard sitting against a wall so they placed it inside the closet which is a little bit too narrow. Her clothes are locked in the trunk but it's awkard for the associates to assist her to dress and for me to replace clean laundry. Mom still packs any items not in the trunk in her laundry basket and seat to her rollator (ie. bathtowels coat, doll clothes, books, etc). Has anyone else experienced this and found a better solution? I would like to be able to hang mom's clothes back inside the closet but she cannot access them. Thanks for any suggestions!

This question has been closed for answers. Ask a New Question.
Find Care & Housing

6 Answers

Most
Helpful Newest
First Oldest
First
I actually solved that issue recently, but it was to prevent my cats from entering the laundry room which has 4 sliding doors (2 in front, 2 in back tracks). I used these stick-on plastic safety locks that you simply pull outwards to lock and push closed to open the lock. They're easy to use if you don't have issues with your hands. I'd recommend putting them up high enough for her to not be able to reach them. My cats are quite sad to not be able to sneak in that "forbidden room" anymore lol
https://www.amazon.ca/Sliding-Door-Closets-Windows-White/dp/B00WTBMSR6
Helpful Answer (1)
Report
Tenie2, this is a phase that your Mom is going through, so just let it be.

I am afraid if you were to lock the sliding closet doors, Mom may start banging and kicking the door thus distributing the other residents.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report
All good answers.
I wonder what she will do with her time instead?
I understand your wanting it to stop.
What happened when you first installed the latch that she ultimately was able to open?
Did she just spend all her time trying to get it opened or was it out of sight, out of mind?
Let us know how it goes.
Helpful Answer (0)
Report
Get one of the rubber door stops. It is a wedge and slip it between the 2 doors in the center. They will not be able to be pushed open.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report
There are sliding door locks that are a little screw-on thing you put on the track. You can put it on the top track where she can't reach it.

Get one from Home Depot.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report
Assuming the doors slide across themselves, I found that placing a wedge at the overlapping junction of the two doors (up the top and out of reach from diminutive elders) can prevent doors being opened - the resistance increases the more force is applied making them impenetrable.
A more invasive security measure (needing authorisation) is to drill a hole through both doors when closed (again, the higher the better) and insert a pin or dowel which can be effortlessly removed. If it is the same colour as the door, it will be harder to detect also.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report
This question has been closed for answers. Ask a New Question.

Recent Questions


Popular Questions


Related Questions

Ask a Question
Subscribe to
Our Newsletter