Front door locks

[Graham StoppaniParticipant @grahamstoppani46499]

Ian,

I have previously worked for an organisation providing pendants and associated services to the elderly as well as using the same organisation's services for my own father.

On the plus side, I have never heard of a key being stolen from a properly installed key safe. It is also useful to place the key safe in a less obvious place that right next to the front door.

On the down side, in our experience basic pendants are not very useful for clients with advancing dementia. Unfortunately, they forget to use them in case of emergencies or falls. More advanced systems are available that purport to be able to identify if the wearer has fallen or not moved for a time. I have no practical experience of the latter type.

regards

Graham

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

The problem with pendants, on the reasonably fit, is that often they seem to object to wearing them!

Our neighbour was always getting into trouble, because she would not carry out the weekly "check" call!

She objected to wearing it; until she fell and cut her head, and we had to take her to hospital!

Probably resented being seen as fragile!

Howard

[HowiParticipant @howi]

There are high security Euro locks available that are bump proof, anti snap, and can be opened from outside even if the key is left in the lock on the inside, they have special coded keys that can only be bought using the security card that came with the lock. ANY good locksmith will be able to advise.

[CalumParticipant @calumgalleitch87969]

While key safes clearly have their vulnerabilities, the simple fact is that the point of locks is to keep honest people honest. The bad guy will not study lockpicking techniques or compile a list of easily forced keysafes: he will bang on the door and shout "parcel!"

It's important to remember that media stories are in the media because they are rare and unusual: things that happen routinely don't make good copy. The truth is that by and large people in care aren't worth stealing from – burglary in general barely pays these days, and someone who needs regular care is unlikely to have a load of laptops, iPads, or phones lying around.

Install the keysafe somewhere out of sight, make sure it's installed properly and change the combination every six months or so (the biggest risk comes from people who have legitimate access).

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Posted by Calum Galleitch on 20/02/2022 11:57:23:

While key safes clearly have their vulnerabilities, the simple fact is that the point of locks is to keep honest people honest. The bad guy will not study lockpicking techniques or compile a list of easily forced keysafes: he will bang on the door and shout "parcel!"

It's important to remember that media stories are in the media because they are rare and unusual: things that happen routinely don't make good copy. The truth is that by and large people in care aren't worth stealing from – burglary in general barely pays these days, and someone who needs regular care is unlikely to have a load of laptops, iPads, or phones lying around.

You are assuming that thieves make rational choices. Often not the case when they are drug addled or even just very young. Many break-ins are opportunistic. If they see something that looks open, or easy to open, they give it a try. There is always something inside they can pinch, even if it's trivial. Many are only looking for money to buy ciggies etc so anything they can flog at the secondhand shop is fair game. Some scumbags broke into a mate's shed and knocked off a bunch of power tools,,, and the tailstock of his lathe that was sitting on the bench. If they will take a tailstock from a 50 year old lathe they will take anything.

[CalumParticipant @calumgalleitch87969]

Posted by Hopper on 20/02/2022 12:38:38:

You are assuming that thieves make rational choices.

Mmm, I'm not sure I implied anything like that! Yes, thieves will take their chance, whatever the motivation, but as long as you aren't the most obviously vulnerable target on the street, there's only so much that's worth doing, and there's only so much that adds real protection.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Eurocylinders are available in a multitude of strengths, I believe Abus gaurantee one unbreakable one.

[Adrian DownesParticipant @adriandownes83818]

Posted by bernard towers on 21/02/2022 18:59:10:

Eurocylinders are available in a multitude of strengths, I believe Abus gaurantee one unbreakable one.

Bramah advertised an unbreakable lock…..

Then along came Harry Houdini

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by MadMike on 19/02/2022 23:58:48:

hence insurance companies demanding a BS standard 5 lever mortice dead lock in addition to a night latch.

I think it depends where you live.

Neil

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

I worry about my mum having the opposite problem – getting out if there's a fire!

She worries about intruders and keeps all the doors and windows locked. As double glazing is hard to break, I fear for an old lady looking desparately for keys in a house full of toxic smoke. You don't have long to escape – minutes…

[Nick Clarke 3Participant @nickclarke3]

Posted by Ian Parkin on 19/02/2022 11:22:09:

Mum..she generally leaves the key in the lock on the inside so then the key wont work anyway.

I know it is only p[art of your issue but my autistic daughter would lock the door and leave the key in preventing it from being opened from the outside so I fitted one of these:-

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

A housebreakers favourite bypass to a locked door is the small child through the bathroom window trick. It's been done several times locally. So those small opening lights at the top are an easy way in.

regards Martin

[SamsarandaParticipant @samsaranda]

It’s so annoying when the key is left in the lock inside, I came home one stormy night from a meeting and found that my wife had left the key in the lock, it was raining cats and dogs and I was desperate to get out of the rain. My wife is profoundly deaf and if she takes the processor to her cochlear implant off then she can hear nothing, I rang the bell, no response, I hammered on the door and the windows again no response, she had removed her processor so could hear nothing. Finally she came to the door and let me in, she became aware that something was up when our deaf cat kept pestering her and running to the front door, the cat is my constant companion and like the wife is totally without hearing but when I go out he sits near the front door waiting for me to come home, he must have sensed that I was outside trying to get in. He is a devoted to me, follows me everywhere, has a special place on the bench in my workshop where he will sit or sleep while I am working, as I type this he is fast asleep on my lap, lucky he was looking after my interests that night. Dave W

[John Doe 2Participant @johndoe2]

As an aside; ''Standard' eurocylinder locks are scarily easy to break. There are videos on youtube from the manufacturers of the secure three star versions showing how the cheap ones can be broken with just a pair of mole grips in about 10 seconds.

The ones with three stars have several security features to prevent an attacker opening the door. They cost a lot more than the standard non or one starred versions, but that is cheaper than being broken into !

[CirclipParticipant @circlip]

Bet there's a U-tube to show how even the Avocet ABS locks with the magnetic inserts built into the keys can be foiled. You can only try to make a perps life difficult, if they're intent on entry, the only deterrent is against the law.

Regards Ian.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

If Mum has dementia, she will get to the stage where you do not want her to be able to open the front door from the inside, or she will let herself out and wander off and get lost. I went through all this when caring for 'er indoors when she had young-onset Alzheimers/dementia. Even though I was home with her all the time, still had to keep the front door and side gates deadlocked so she could not wander off. And it comes on kind of unexpectedly. After the first time you can't find her and go searching the neighbourhood only to find her fallen over in a disoriented, bloody, crying heap at the local shopping centre a mile away, you have no qualms at all about keeping that door locked to her.

The other thing is she could let some little toerags in who come knocking on the door and tell her some likely story.

So you might look for a deadbolt lock that has key inside and outside and can hold both keys at once. Then you can leave the key inside while she is still well enough to open the front door without wandering off etc. Then when she reaches that stage, you take the inside key away and she is secured inside. But by then she really should have a carer there most of the time.

All the best with your caring for her. It's a hard row to hoe so make full use of those carers etc. And get some advice on how to deal with it all. Stuff like this will be coming up all the time and often fast. Start thinking now about handrails in bathrooms and easy walk in shower stalls etc. The carer organisations and companies should be able to advise as they do this stuff all the time. There are also dementia support groups and organisations that can be tremendously helpful if you contact them. I don't know of UK contacts but should be easy to find online.

 

Edited By Hopper on 22/02/2022 11:09:18

Edited By Hopper on 22/02/2022 11:15:59

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

I worked with a chap who had an implant in his hand to operate his front door lock, electronic locks are increasingly popular as many hotels have embraced them. The RFID tags are very effective access control and even if a tag is lost or compromised it can simply be deleted to restore security. They could be issued to carers and the window of access programmed for their appointment times and days only. Center Parcs have installed a RFID system that controls accommodation access, swimming pool lockers and can be linked to a bank card for cashless payments to in pool refreshment facilities. The tag is contained in a wristband that can be worn in water. The company I worked for had a photographic ID card that contained a tag and gave out of hours access to the plant, vending machines and canteen checkouts also used the system. It also controlled access to restricted areas. Lost cards could be easily deleted and new ones created very quickly. One hotel I have used controls lift access from the lobby with your room card but once you have been admitted lift access is not controlled so if you lock your card in your room you can return to reception.

Mike

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