Stair Gates

[Selinacroft]

Dad isn't capable of getting up the stairs and has been sleeping downstairs for the last 4 years. This last couple of weeks at bed time he is slipping back in time and getting cantakerous/confused /stubborn and trying with great determination to walk up the hall and attempt the stairs. My stopping him inevetably leads to a loud argument and he tries to shove me out of the way with his walking frame.
I had a stair gate for a dog once but it practically fell over when you sneezed next to it. Has anybody tried using one to deter a PWD and how useful was it?

 

[Tin]

You have to get one that is attached by screwing into place. The problem is that a child's gate is just that, not suitable for a strong elderly person and relies mainly on 'pressure' fitting and usually too short.

I do not have stairs but do have a custom made gate for my kitchen area. A friend of mine has actually adapted a metal garden gate for her stairs with a lock and bolt system.

 

[love.dad.but..]

Ok...slightly different use. It goes without saying that the pwd must not have the mobility or agility to attempt trying to climb over the staircase but....when I was living with dad for 10 months in his house after mum died suddenly I used a stairgate not for his stairs but my bedroom! Dad had good mobility and orienteered himself around his familiar house very well even in the dark at night. He would be up and dressed many times during the night and pace in a circuit around the house up and down the stairs. I got used to laying awake listening to his shoes on the different surfaces to track exactly where he was! Anyway, he would come into my bedroom up to 30 times a night, to ask if I was still alive...he meant awake! Sometimes wanted to get into bed...maybe thought I was mum...it wasn't sexual thing just a comfort thing. However, it meant I was not getting any chance to rest... so I put a stairgate across the bedroom door to stop him coming in, he would try to get my attention from the gate which was extremely sad to hear but I pretended to be asleep and he would trundle off, with me in tears under the covers! However he couldn't undo the gate which was clamped firmly to the wall so very stable. I could only do this because I was absolutely sure of his capabilities, safety and he wasn't at risk of falls on the stairs at that time. Some may not have done what I did but to some extent it solved the problem for a while. Although dad tried to rattle the gate it always held firm for the months I needed it

 

[yak55]

Stair gates all the way!
We use a travel version and Mum has on occasion managed to remove it so we now drape a colourful bath sheet over it which seems to stop her trying.
Honestly, you have to learn on your feet. I hate what Alzheimer's is doing to our family.
Mum also opens our bedroom door constantly during the night, she even asked me this evening if two ladies were sleeping in mine and my husbands bedroom.
Because I told a Social Worker I have to lock all outside doors and hide the keys for mums safety they say I am depriving her of her liberty!
I really do not want to be doing this. Honestly it is the last thing I would be doing in my 60's. Everything suffers, friendships, visits and sleepovers with grandchildren, holidays, date nights. Just everything.
On social media dementia pages are constantly posting quotes to make me feel that I should be loving every minute and it's not the person it's the disease blah blah blah

 

[Selinacroft]

Thank you all. I don't think I would need it closed most of the day. The difficulty starts some time after 6.00 PM upto about 10.00 PM at most when Dad is sundowning. He's never tried during the day and knows where he is - but I suppose this may decline.
I will see if I can sort that out and get a gate of some kind.

 

[love.dad.but..]

Stair gates all the way!
We use a travel version and Mum has on occasion managed to remove it so we now drape a colourful bath sheet over it which seems to stop her trying.
Honestly, you have to learn on your feet. I hate what Alzheimer's is doing to our family.
Mum also opens our bedroom door constantly during the night, she even asked me this evening if two ladies were sleeping in mine and my husbands bedroom.
Because I told a Social Worker I have to lock all outside doors and hide the keys for mums safety they say I am depriving her of her liberty!
I really do not want to be doing this. Honestly it is the last thing I would be doing in my 60's. Everything suffers, friendships, visits and sleepovers with grandchildren, holidays, date nights. Just everything.
On social media dementia pages are constantly posting quotes to make me feel that I should be loving every minute and it's not the person it's the disease blah blah blah

I agree, never has the phrase..walk in my shoes for a while then you are qualified to speak...applied more with dementia v SW's. I lo cked the doors while I was in the house, always had the keys on me otherwise if I went to the loo dad would be trying all doors and windows and be out so quickly like a shot and his safety outside came before dol. I had dealings with sw's as a foster carer, some are excellent...some aren't and are just textbook disciples. I feel the same as I did with health visitors when my children were small...take advice from them that you think is sensible, have doubts about the rest.

 

[Louise7]

Rather than use a stair gate to block off the stairs I fitted a 'BabyDan Guard Me' retractable safety guard. It's a bit more expensive than a standard stair gate but is fully retractable and a flexible concertina style. I found the benefit for my Mum was that as it is solid rather than gate style by fitting it so that it was at her eye level (but with not a big enough gap at the bottom to get under) she couldn't actually see the stairs so was not tempted to try to climb them - she seemed to forget they were there. Might not work so well with someone tall but my Mum is tiny and it worked really well. She didn't even try to touch it as it looked like a 'white wall'. Plus there is no threshold step, which you get with the usual style stair gate, so when it is retracted back I was able to take Mum upstairs to the bathroom without the risk of her stumbling on a threshold step. It needs to be fitted by drilling to the wall rather than just clamping so is also a lot more stable than most stair gates. I previously tried a standard stair gate but Mum has a hand rail up the stairs so it was difficult to fit a gate securely. Here's a pic:

 

[Selinacroft]

Hi Thanks - interesting thoughts- I like the idea of hanging a coloured towel over it so it is an obvious block. I can't fit mine to avoid the bottom step as the ballustrade post (is that the right word) is attached to the second step and the gate has to go from the post to the wall as the panelling between posts is too flimsy and may break under intense pressure. The bottom step sticks out in front an dbends round the post.
I really struggled to get the right fittings as 90 % of them on Amazon which gave measurements were either 75cm upwards or up to 75cm. Needless to say I have just over 74 cm at the skirting board height and just over 75cm at the wall height. If I fitted it a bit higher to miss the skirting board I would probably trip up my aged dog which is not part of the plan, but I think I have finally found one.

 

[yak55]

I agree, never has the phrase..walk in my shoes for a while then you are qualified to speak...applied more with dementia v SW's. I lo cked the doors while I was in the house, always had the keys on me otherwise if I went to the loo dad would be trying all doors and windows and be out so quickly like a shot and his safety outside came before dol. I had dealings with sw's as a foster carer, some are excellent...some aren't and are just textbook disciples. I feel the same as I did with health visitors when my children were small...take advice from them that you think is sensible, have doubts about the rest.

I know what you mean, I'm very wary of the SW involvement tbh and I shall make sure they know in no uncertain terms that I am the best judge of how Mum needs to be protected! Thanks for your reply

 

[yak55]

Rather than use a stair gate to block off the stairs I fitted a 'BabyDan Guard Me' retractable safety guard. It's a bit more expensive than a standard stair gate but is fully retractable and a flexible concertina style. I found the benefit for my Mum was that as it is solid rather than gate style by fitting it so that it was at her eye level (but with not a big enough gap at the bottom to get under) she couldn't actually see the stairs so was not tempted to try to climb them - she seemed to forget they were there. Might not work so well with someone tall but my Mum is tiny and it worked really well. She didn't even try to touch it as it looked like a 'white wall'. Plus there is no threshold step, which you get with the usual style stair gate, so when it is retracted back I was able to take Mum upstairs to the bathroom without the risk of her stumbling on a threshold step. It needs to be fitted by drilling to the wall rather than just clamping so is also a lot more stable than most stair gates. I previously tried a standard stair gate but Mum has a hand rail up the stairs so it was difficult to fit a gate securely. Here's a pic:

Hi, the gate we use doesn't have the piece on the ground. Once we put it too high and Mum who is tiny too, crept under it Thanks for the picture

 

[yak55]

Hi Thanks - interesting thoughts- I like the idea of hanging a coloured towel over it so it is an obvious block. I can't fit mine to avoid the bottom step as the ballustrade post (is that the right word) is attached to the second step and the gate has to go from the post to the wall as the panelling between posts is too flimsy and may break under intense pressure. The bottom step sticks out in front an dbends round the post.
I really struggled to get the right fittings as 90 % of them on Amazon which gave measurements were either 75cm upwards or up to 75cm. Needless to say I have just over 74 cm at the skirting board height and just over 75cm at the wall height. If I fitted it a bit higher to miss the skirting board I would probably trip up my aged dog which is not part of the plan, but I think I have finally found one.

The travel ones are very good. Hope you have success with the one you have found