At 3 am, he gets up and opens the bedroom closet thinking it’s the toilet. It happens about every month. I have to drag him away from the closet and push him to the toilet down the hall - only about 30 feet. Besides barricading the closet, any suggestions? Thanks!
What about night lights to help guide Dad down the hall t the bathroom, and a night light in the bathroom.
My concern that locking the closet door would cause Dad to beat on the door and pull on the door handle breaking it. Another idea is to put some bells on the door handle as Dad probably isn't fully awake at 3 a.m. Horse carriage bells will surely wake him up.
You might want to consider moving to clear storage containers for daily use items and visible snacks sitting on kitchen counters or the dining tables too.
A friend's 19 and 22 year old sons sometimes mistake the closet or wardrobe for the toilet when drunk so it isn't just a problem for then elderly! She gets them to pay a hefty clean up fee which has helped but a small lock on the wardrobe and a commode is the best bet for an 89 year old.
Thirty feet is too far, get him closer to the bathroom if you want him to use it.
Put a commode next to his bed.
Set an alarm for you at 2:55 a.m. if he is up every night at about 3 a.m.
Well, I guess you were already up at that time if you pushed him 30 feet to the bathroom?
Be very grateful that at age 89 he can still walk 30 feet.
What was your question again? Lol and Happy New Year!
;-)
I know it's not a funny situation to you but his "answer" made me giggle. Need to start 2020 out with a giggle. Wishing you a fresh start in the New Year!
(place it high so he does not see it easily)
A bedside commode or a urinal might be an easy solution.
I guess you could try to somehow barricade the door or place a lock on it.
So sorry that you are struggling with this situation.
Others with experience with this may be able to offer more help. Best wishes to you and your dad.
What about a bedside commode? They aren’t expensive. They sell them on Amazon. You may even want to place it in the closet since that is where he wants to go.