Has anyone heard of babygates for a showers?

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horticulturist Asked March 2023

Has anyone heard of babygates for a showers?

My Mother is in assisted living and has long term care insurance that covers part of this. However, Mother is sinking farther into dementia, and it is hard to break any of her habits right now. She is accustomed to returning to her room after the evening meal, and immediately taking a shower. She is currently so unsteady on her feet, that this is dangerous for her to do alone. The AL facility director was frank in telling me that even if we move mother to memory care, the facility could not guarantee that they would have enough staff to keep her from attempting to shower on her own. Does anyone know of a "babygate" or some device that could be put over a shower opening to frustrate mother just long enough to let staff get to her? Her shower is a single stall with a shower chair in it.

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score 0 · Answer 1

There are all kinds and all sizes of baby gates online. For a wider opening, they have interlocking gates. There are probably tall gates too. There are also sensors to install that give an alert when she crosses the threshold. Another approach--can the shower water be turned off, the same way you can turn off the toilet water with a handle on the wall?

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score 2 · Answer 2

IMHO The gate idea may prove to be a hurdle your mom will attempt to get over. It is astonishing how clever and determined a dement can be. Another perspective, my mom's board&care AL/MC the caregivers accompany mom to each and every bathroom visit, whether it is to pee, wash hands, gargle, shower. She is never allowed in bathroom by herself. I had them include it in her care plan. This is because she is unsteady, cannot clean herself, cant figure out water temperature, and so on. Mom doesn't have a bathroom in her room, on purpose. Just something to consider if your current facility can't accommodate your mom safely.

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score 1 · Answer 3

CWillie,
At my mother’s MC, she has a large, private walk-in shower in her own bathroom.

The opening for Mom’s shower would be too large for a baby gate, even if it were safe.

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score 0 · Answer 4

Do any memory care units have a lock for the shower? I'd think that would be a good idea. The attendant who helps with showers would have a key to unlock the water when she bathes the patient. I've never heard of such a device, just curious. I'm sure many memory care patients could get into trouble with showers and bathtubs,

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Where I live facilities for those with higher needs (nursing homes and memory care) do not typically have tubs or showers in the individual rooms, people are bathed in the central bath rooms.

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score 1 · Answer 5

Is there a way to attach a child lock on it somehow? I agree that she might try to climb over a gate.

Google child locks and see if there's something that might work with the handle on the door.

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Thank you for your answer, but there is a shower curtain and not a door on her shower.

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score 1 · Answer 6

How would a baby gate help her if she is unsteady on her feet?

She needs more assistance with bathing.

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the idea is to block her access to the shower

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score 1 · Answer 7

With their telling you that memory care may not be safe for your Mom I don't quite know what to say. Generally there is more staff and more protection with those walk in showers and tubes.

I don't know that it would be impossible to install a gate of some sort, but I also don't know that they would LET you, nor that it might not pose another danger to a senior determined to get past the gate.

I wish I had better ideas. I hope you find some. I agree that she is likely now passing the time that she can remain in ALF in any case. I am so sorry.

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Thank you for your kind answer. I am going to visit some of the other facilities in the area to see what is common. Everyone in the business of assisted living is short staffed at this time, I believe. We settled on this facility when it was new, and for the fact that it was near my sister in case something happened.

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score 2 · Answer 8

I think she is passed an AL. She needs more care than they can give.

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score 0 · Answer 9

If she's determined enough I can imagine her trying to climb over a gate which would be even worse. Maybe hanging an out of order sign across the opening would slow her down, but I can't see why the staff can't keep her distracted after her meals until she establishes a new routine.

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Has anyone heard of babygates for a showers?

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