Call the Executive Director about this. My mother ALWAYS had her room key on a coil band on her wrist in MC. She had access to her suite 24/7 and could not be "locked out".
Who is telling you that the resident is locked out of her room? Is that your perspective, the resident's perspective, or the staff's excuse?
At my Mom's facility, they closed and locked the door of my Mom because she was not safe, alone in the room and they didn't want her to walk back into her room. They wanted her in the activity room, not isolated in her room.
However, my Mom interpreted it as she was not allowed in her room.
A different perspective: In my Mom's MC, they had a guy who would go into people's rooms and remove clothes out of the dresser drawers, go through closets, eat food that he found in their room, etc. (that was his dementia). If the door was unlocked, he would go in, resident in there or not. As a result, they encouraged my Mom out of her room and locked the door behind her to prevent him from coming in.
Say what? what does " too much trouble in her room" mean? this seems odd . Also, corroborate what she is reporting to you. Find out the MC facility's take on whats happening also.
My step-mother just told my brother that she hadn't been in her room for 2 weeks, we all know that is not true. I would never believe a dementia patient, they say all kinds of untruths.
She is now a passive person, she is on meds for sundowners but otherwise is not a problem anymore. She used to go out into the main area and color she no longer does that, she sits in her room more as time goes by. They come and get her for lunch and special occasions.
Hi, My dad is in memory care with Sundowners. I’m curious what she’s taking for sundowner meds? My dad is a huge fall risk … he’s probably fallen 8-10 times in the past 9 months. His doctor is reluctant to prescribe meds that may make him more of a fall risk.
They preferred to have my Mom in the common area to watch her. Maybe the woman tears her room apart? My mom used to take her clean clothes and throw them in the wash. What I did not like was she was allowed to nap on the couch in the common area. This area was seen as soon as you walked in the door. I asked that they take her back to her room to nap.
I would say there are less aides on weekends so they keep the residents together.
I am afraid that no one will be able to give you good input with this little amount of information, Marvena. Would you not consider discussing this with the facility itself, given that we are a whole world full of strangers from around the world?
Generally, and this is a general observation from a retired RN who worked in psych sometimes and with elders in general, the room is made off limits for a very good reason. Now this could be ANYTHING: Hulda used to regularly flush her teeth (false, of course) down the toilet in her room. Irma clogged her toilet with paper and towels, and James threw all his linens off the bed and into the hall telling us that "they aren't mine". And that's just a few. Some other reasons we used to close the rooms temporarily were that the person would come into the hall, visit and get some walking exercise rather than stay in bed all day.
So do ask. Tell us what you find out, why don't you. I would love to know their reasoning on this.
My Dad is a huge fall risk, he forgets he needs assistance. They don't like him in his room by himself, even though there is an alarm on his wheelchair, it might not be heard behind his closed door. He also eats too much chocolate in there by himself and has had VERY messy accidents because of it (or so they think!) I don't think my Dad is safe alone anywhere, so I don't have a problem with it. Especially on the weekends, they seem to be short handed.
It really depends on her level. At first my mother could do as she pleased but now she would get into all kinds of mischief unsupervised and there is simply not enough staff to keep an eye on her if shes in her room. Also she became more social since they started locking her out during the day. She engages much more in activities even as her abilities have declined. At first i resisted the lock out because i thought she deserved the freedom to do what she wanted. But it would be dangerous if she fell or got hurt. She has fallen twice in the common areas and staff were right there to help her and make sure she was ok.
I would ask for clarification on what "too much trouble" means. She could be fiddling around doing god knows what. I could see them wanting most people in the common area so they don't get a bunch of surprises in resident's rooms?
Mareva: Speak to the head of the MC facility. Imho, you've got to ask THEM why the resident is being locked out of her room on the weekends. We here on the forum cannot hazard a guess.
Residents are locked out of their rooms because the aides are too lazy to check on the residents in their rooms. It's easier for them to keep everyone in one common room - corralled up like animals so the aides don't have to do anything and can scroll on their phones all day watching tik toc videos.
What does MC mean? Who are you in relation to who you are asking this question? Speak to the administrator. Ask to see their guidelines / official 'Rules and Regulations."
Sorry folks - here is yet another example of how in many "facilities" in the U.S. treat elders and the cognitively impaired inhumanely and without understanding or compassion. This kind of treatment is certainly no better than a prison, and someone is actually paying for it.
Another consideration: Is such treatment even legal? If I am not mistaken, under the law the resident is a renter. They are locking her out of her home (her room).
I would do everything in my power to avoid such faux-care - for myself and people I genuinely love. Truly, I'd rather die.
Memory Care operates differently from Assisted Living. You are there because you are unable to be independent. You are there for effective supervision. My mom's place is nice because there are no weekends. It is business as usual 7 days a week. Everyone works Sat or Sunday and is off one day during the week.
As many here stated it is common practice to lock the door of a MC resident during the day if the resident is a fall risk or likes to destroy the room or throw things out of drawers. My father was locked out of his room every day from the time he got dressed to the time he was ready for bed. He kept forgetting to use his walker thus falling down, hitting head and off to hospital, it was a vicious circle. Not all residents in my father MC were locked out of their rooms, only the ones with problem behavior. From my experience it was a necessity.
You are paying them to keep your LO safe and that what they might be doing. Talk with the Facility director or talk to the Nursing director, try to identify a befriend other families visiting residents, they might give you additional information which you are not seeing. Also here in IL MC and most of the ALMC have family forums (without staff present) which you can join and discuss care, concerns and just a place to vent; check and see if they have one set up.
Also if you truly have concerns of abuse contact the ombudsman assigned to the facility.
Woulbethe resident be unsafe if left alone? Eg falls frequently?
Is there less staff on the weekend, therefore residents grouped together for supervision?
At my Mom's facility, they closed and locked the door of my Mom because she was not safe, alone in the room and they didn't want her to walk back into her room. They wanted her in the activity room, not isolated in her room.
However, my Mom interpreted it as she was not allowed in her room.
A different perspective: In my Mom's MC, they had a guy who would go into people's rooms and remove clothes out of the dresser drawers, go through closets, eat food that he found in their room, etc. (that was his dementia). If the door was unlocked, he would go in, resident in there or not. As a result, they encouraged my Mom out of her room and locked the door behind her to prevent him from coming in.
My step-mother just told my brother that she hadn't been in her room for 2 weeks, we all know that is not true. I would never believe a dementia patient, they say all kinds of untruths.
She is now a passive person, she is on meds for sundowners but otherwise is not a problem anymore. She used to go out into the main area and color she no longer does that, she sits in her room more as time goes by. They come and get her for lunch and special occasions.
My dad is in memory care with Sundowners. I’m curious what she’s taking for sundowner meds? My dad is a huge fall risk … he’s probably fallen 8-10 times in the past 9 months. His doctor is reluctant to prescribe meds that may make him more of a fall risk.
I would say there are less aides on weekends so they keep the residents together.
Would you not consider discussing this with the facility itself, given that we are a whole world full of strangers from around the world?
Generally, and this is a general observation from a retired RN who worked in psych sometimes and with elders in general, the room is made off limits for a very good reason. Now this could be ANYTHING:
Hulda used to regularly flush her teeth (false, of course) down the toilet in her room. Irma clogged her toilet with paper and towels, and James threw all his linens off the bed and into the hall telling us that "they aren't mine". And that's just a few.
Some other reasons we used to close the rooms temporarily were that the person would come into the hall, visit and get some walking exercise rather than stay in bed all day.
So do ask.
Tell us what you find out, why don't you.
I would love to know their reasoning on this.
Who are you in relation to who you are asking this question?
Speak to the administrator. Ask to see their guidelines / official 'Rules and Regulations."
Another consideration: Is such treatment even legal? If I am not mistaken, under the law the resident is a renter. They are locking her out of her home (her room).
I would do everything in my power to avoid such faux-care - for myself and people I genuinely love. Truly, I'd rather die.
My mom's place is nice because there are no weekends. It is business as usual 7 days a week. Everyone works Sat or Sunday and is off one day during the week.
You are paying them to keep your LO safe and that what they might be doing. Talk with the Facility director or talk to the Nursing director, try to identify a befriend other families visiting residents, they might give you additional information which you are not seeing. Also here in IL MC and most of the ALMC have family forums (without staff present) which you can join and discuss care, concerns and just a place to vent; check and see if they have one set up.
Also if you truly have concerns of abuse contact the ombudsman assigned to the facility.
Best wishes.