Locks & Peepholes - Assisted Living Facility Security

If you are moving into an assisted living facility, you are very likely to notice some of the more obvious features such as the cleanliness, staff attitudes and helpfulness, and who your neighbors might be. However, there are many smaller items that you will need to consider about the home, or your unit before you move in. One of these items relates to the physical doors, locks, and peepholes. If your door has a locking bolt, you will want to make sure that you can lock and unlock it easily. If you are suffering from arthritis (The inflammation of the body's joints, causing pain, swelling, and difficulty in body movement), the lock will need to be very easy to turn.

Peepholes are very important, but they are not very useful if you are not tall enough to see through them. If the door's peephole is not at a good height for you to use, make sure that the facility can arrange to move the peephole to a height that is comfortable for you.

Another feature that many assisted living apartments have is an alarm system. This is especially important if you have a door that opens to the outside world. It is very important that you know how to use the alarm, and can turn it on and off. If you are not able to operate the alarm, make sure the staff of the facility can teach you how to use it. Many alarms have small buttons and require a lot of dexterity - which can make things difficult if you have joint pain, or Parkinson's. Many alarms require that you are able to memorize a combination code. Unfortunately, this may pose problems if you or your loved one is suffering from dementia or Alzheimer's.

Things to consider about locks and peepholes:

» Does your facility have them?
» Are they in proper working order?
» Can they be reached?
» Are you strong enough to work them?

- Assisted Living Directory