Locking door.

[POPPIT]

Hello everyone.
My mum's care home have rung me to inform me that another resident tried to pull mum out of bed last night. Mum is bed bound. Because the alarm went off they got to her before any harm was done.
They have asked my permission for them to lock her door at night to make sure it does not happen again. I really don't know how I feel about this, not happy really.
I have to go in and sign a form too giving permission, does this then make me responsible. But if I don't and she is hurt by residents then will still feel bad.
Any body else had this happen.
Thanks

 

[nitram]

My first action would be to ask if the door requires a unique key or is there a master key carried by all care staff. If your mum presses her call button what will be the response time?

Before I signed anything I would raise a query with DOLs.

 

[cragmaid]

No. I would not sign and I suspect that it would not be legal to enforce it anyway. They cannot lock a bedbound old lady in her room, surely they need to be able to restrict the offender's movements. I seriously do not think you should give permission. I keep thinking of fire risks and all sorts of other things like that.

 

[POPPIT]

Thank you for reply.Mum is end if life now can't do anything. She couldn't press any alarms now.The only time any alarm goes off is if someone stood on the mat next to her bed or she fell out of bed.
I just don't like the idea of mum in a locked room and wonder if the staff will still do regular checks in the night.

 

[nitram]

There is also the point that by not restricting the wanderer they could end up with all doors except the wanderer's locked at night.

 

[POPPIT]

Ingram thank you for that. It is what I thought why should all the other residents suffer for sake of one person wandering about in the night.
I really don't like it at all. But then I worry who will they blame if I dont agree and mum gets hurt.

 

[POPPIT]

Sorry meant nitram

 

[nitram]

"But then I worry who will they blame if I dont agree and mum gets hurt."

As I said raise a query with DOLs (deprivation of liberty, safeguarding).

I suspect they may consider that the wanderer's liberty to wander should be curtailed because their wandering is a danger to themselves and/or others.

 

[nitram]

From the homes point of view locking your mum in her room is not going to cause any nighttime disturbance.

Locking the mobile and active wanderer in could lead to call buttons being pressed/ banging on door/ shouting, all this is the home's problem not your's.

 

[nitram]

To query DOLs contact 'Adult Safeguarding' or similar at your LA.

 

[Beate]

If your mum is bed bound, what is going to be the difference to her if the room is locked? Would she even notice? If she still gets all the attention she needs, then what's the problem? Sure, they should supervise the wanderer closely, but it's a staff issue really - have they got the manpower to do so? If the wanderer was your loved one, what would you think if someone suggested to lock him in at night? You'd not be very happy either, I suppose.

 

[nitram]

"Would she even notice? If she still gets all the attention she needs, then what's the problem?"

To some extent I agree with this, a question is would she get nighttime attention, repositioned every x hours, and would the door remain locked all night?

Fire risks can be largely discounted, the home will almost certainly have a 'stay put' policy, room doors will have a fire resistance and there will be fire doors in corridors. the fire brigade will soon force open any locked doors.

I still feel any safeguarding restriction should be placed on the wanderer, not on the OP's mum or other residents.

I come back to 'query the situation with DOLs.'

 

[POPPIT]

Thanks for all replies.
Just one more question are care homes allowed to use baby gates?

 

[nitram]

"...are care homes allowed to use baby gates?"

This again comes under DOLs, ask for rules/guidance from your LA.

"Safeguarding" have a lot of power.

 

[nitram]

"...what the procedure would be if there was an incident and the building needed to be evacuated if your Mothers door were to be locked"

Any whole building evacuation would be preceded by implementation of a 'stay put' policy. The emergency services would quickly force the door open if necessary.

 

[nitram]

Care homes, flats, etc have entrance doors to room or flat which are both fireproof and smoke proof, depending on its size the building may also be divided into separate fire and smoke proof areas.

In the case of a fire alarm the usual policy is to 'stay put' in your protected area and await the response of the emergency services.

The only exception is if you are mobile and the source of the fire is in your protected area.

EDIT

The control panel should indicate which specific sensor(s) have been triggered.