Guns

johnnij

Hi my father is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. We live in rural Alaska and he has always had an arsenal of guns in our home. He always carries one with him everywhere we go. He hasn’t given me any reason or worries about his guns. He also hasn’t shot them in almost year or so. But I know there is going to be a day sooner or later where I’ll have to remove them from his home. He was the most stubborn person I’ve ever met before the Alzheimer’s and now even more so with it. I just have no idea how I’m going to take his guns from him. He sleeps with one on his bedside every night. He has around 8-10 guns some are in a big safe and some on the wall of his cabin. I’m just so lost on how I’m going to convince him to let me sell them or just remove them from the home. He is still extremely self sufficient and can take care of himself. If there’s any advice anyone could give me I’d really appreciate it. I’m 28 and I’m his only child willing to take care of him. My husband didn’t grow up around guns so he has hasn’t been able to help me with this matter either.

charley0419

I wish I had answers I’m still dealing a yr later with her not driving. Someone will have answers for you. Good luck

clarinetist

This is tough, but you’re right; you will need to get rid of his guns. Later in the disease he could get aggressive or confused and accidentally shoot someone. The bedside gun and the one he carries with him are the ones I’d be most worried about.

My husband was a hunter and knew he had Alzheimer’s so I was able to persuade him to donate them to the local police department. In your case, you might be able to slowly reduce the arsenal. Could he be persuaded to donate some to the police or to a hunter’s ed class? Can you get the key to the gun safe and then “lose” the key (after removing the guns)? Can you tell him you need a gun to protect yourself and ask him for one on the wall? If he has short-term memory problems, you could keep doing that. Can you disable the guns and take away the disabled part? Not sure how to do that, but you could ask a local gun shop.

Hope one of these suggestions works for you. Kudos to you for thinking ahead.

JDancer

Can you start by removing the bullets? Would he notice? If you can get all the bullets out, maybe a couple guns can stay.

DWTired

I purchased fake movie blanks and put in his gun…he is none the wiser!

ronda b

Fake movie blanks sounds like a great idea. If he is a a gun person he will occasionally check to see if it's still loaded

fmb

One drawback to using blanks is the chance that he might be brandishing a gun causing someone else with a loaded weapon to think he was an actual threat and shooting first. While I realize this is not a likely scenario, people are killed by police for showing a realistic looking fake gun, for example.

Though not hunters, DH and I both owned firearms. As he became more frail and I realized that something was wrong cognitively (before we even had the ALZ diagnosis), I suggested that we sell them. Fortunately he agreed.

Chammer

Do you have someone who could remove the firing pins?

Victoriaredux

If the police are called for any reason - at home or out -and he is wearing or near a gun that could end in tragedy. Dementia is an uneven but progressive disease - he could hear a noise and think he needs to shoot or go outside to look.

If the item looks like a gun the police or a neighbor answering a cry for help aren't going to know/care if maybe there are fake bullets or no firing pin. Would you give a toddler to pre-teen a gun ?

Is he still driving? I'd look at his car/truck for little dents - from near misses , if you can follow him driving in different situations— how is his braking, turn signalling, speed control.

Dementia can involve visual distortions so that can impact driving and yes, gun accuracy also.

He won't be able to live alone until the end for safety so planning for live-in care 24/7 or placement down the road should be considered now. Getting him to give you the legal documents now will save getting guardianship later. I'm sorry you are having to deal with this disease .

SDianeL

my husband had one gun and I asked him to let our son-in-law put it in his safe (not give it to him). That worked. I got him to quit driving by telling him that if he was in an accident we could be sued and lose everything. I would start with the one he wears and the one by the bed. Tell him if an accident happens he could be sued and lose everything. This is a tough one. You may need to fib.