Is this normal ??

[Rov]

Hello,
My mum has been diagnosed with Alzheimers and vascular dementia. I have been caring for her for several years, but Social Services are now helping me by providing agency carers. SS have suggested that my husband and I would benefit from a break and have offered to put mum in a home for a week. The home is experienced with managing dementia folk, but lock the dementia residents in their room overnight. Is this normal ? I am horrified.

 

[mrs mcgonnagal]

I really hope its not normal practice to lock someone in a room, how frightening for anyone never mind someone who could be confused and upset in strange place. I would speak to the social workers again. I couldn't let my relative go there. One time earlier this year when I desperately needed a respite place for my mam social services suggested a place which was not safe according to the inspection reports, I didn't take that place and made them sort out something else. You can look around and arrange your own with somewhere you are happy with. No not right to lock people in a room! There are legal safeguards if someone became a danger to themselves or others and I am sure you can get proper advice on that, there is a lot of knowledge on here. But if its right that they just lock up all the dementia patients at night then that sounds like just an easy life for them.

 

[lin1]

Its not normal practice to lock people in there rooms overnight.
In fact I have read many a post on here about people with Dementia being up and around with the night staff in the early hours of the morning.

This place doesn't sound very Dementia friendly or knowledgable to me , in fact I strongly suggest you don't let your mum go there and you look for round for another.

 

[BeckyJan]

Hello,
Have you actually had this confirmed by the home? I cannot help but wonder if the reality is they lock the unit for security reasons, ie strangers entering the unit and those with dementia leaving and getting lost by wandering away.

My husband was a wanderer at night time and could find his way around the corridors. Often the staff would let him sit in the lounge which was more active with carers passing through. The outer doors were always locked with keypads for relatives and carers to enter.

If in fact it is correct that they do lock the bedroom doors this should be reported to the Care Quality Commission.

 

[Bessieb]

Hi Rov,
No it's not normal and not the right thing to do. CH's with dementia units will usually lock the unit at night for the safety of the residents but definitely not rooms. They should be able to wander around the unit (obviously with staff around) but not leave it.

I would check with the CH that they have explained it properly as this might be what they are doing. But if they are locking residents in rooms I would avoid the CH.

 

[jenniferpa]

I think this is most likely to be a misunderstanding: apart from anything else this would be a massive fire/safety issue.

 

[Rov]

Thank you all for your replies. I will contact the CH. I hope it is just a misunderstanding.

 

[lin1]

I hope it is a misunderstanding .
Have you been to have a look at the place, if not you are not only allowed to it is recommended .

 

[Witzend]

I have never heard of such a thing - I would hope that you have been misinformed. Iwould certainly go and visit the home and check for yourself - other people do often get wrong ends of sticks.

I would think it would be very distressing for a lot of dementia sufferers to be locked into their rooms. My mother would often wander around half the night, and nobody at the CH ever so much as hinted that this was a problem.

 

[BR_ANA]

My mom used to walk with night staff for hours. And she used to wake up in middle of night and walk more.

Some residents complained to me that sometimes she wandered on their room at night and disturbed them. (Even one almost lucid resident couldn't lock her door).

I had seen front door locked.