Doors and locks

Dill

Registered User
Feb 26, 2011
355
0
England
Hi everyone
I've been a member for many years since seeking advice about my dad but this is about my father in law. He has vascular dementia, is 94, lives alone in a remote village in Scotland, and has just started having carers come in this week.
He loves his greenhouse and will pop in and out the house all day, although he is almost blind and unsteady on his feet. Recently though he has started to leave the house unlocked night and day. The carers lock the door and use the key safe but we are worried he is either locked in or at risk from intruders if doors are unlocked.
Does anyone have any experience of this please? Thanks in advance.
 

jugglingmum

Registered User
Jan 5, 2014
7,078
0
Chester
Personally in a remote Scottish village I'm not sure locking the house is as necessary as it is compared to where I live. My MIL lives in a very remote scottish hamlet and has her door unlocked all day so that people can come in. She does lock it at night but in reality I suspect this isn't necessary.

I actually think being locked in and or tripping and falling on his pootle to and from the greenhouse is more of a risk.
 

Dill

Registered User
Feb 26, 2011
355
0
England
Personally in a remote Scottish village I'm not sure locking the house is as necessary as it is compared to where I live. My MIL lives in a very remote scottish hamlet and has her door unlocked all day so that people can come in. She does lock it at night but in reality I suspect this isn't necessary.

I actually think being locked in and or tripping and falling on his pootle to and from the greenhouse is more of a risk.
Thank you jugglingmum, it's good to hear the views of someone in a similar situation. Yes, going in and out of the house especially when the weather is bad is a worry. We are hoping he will stay indoors more, but he does love his garden! Thanks again for your reply.
 

Justmary

Registered User
Jul 12, 2018
204
0
West Midlands
Hi Dill, my husband is 71 and was diagnosed 4 years ago. Last year he started taking the keys from doors and windows (as well as lots of other sparkly items). He would hide all these shiny objects under his mattress, wrapped in socks in drawers, under pieces of furniture... At the same time he seemed to "forget" that doors should be locked at night and when leaving the house. At the time it was very worrying as he was still going out on his own, as was I. Unfortunately I do not have good news as nothing has changed. He is like a toddler in many respects and just doesn't know that it isn't safe.
 

Sirena

Registered User
Feb 27, 2018
2,324
0
I agree that security isn't too much of an issue in a remote Scottish village, so I wouldn't worry too much about doors not being locked.

And as he now has daily carers, if he has a fall at least he will be found fairly quickly. There is often no perfect solution but I'm not sure you can do much more than is already being done.