Safety gate for stairs?

I don't have experience with using a stair gate for an adult. But having a mom with dementia, I would be afraid that she would try to get around or over it, or simply be unaware of it and fall into/over it. Same principle as restraints in a health care situation - they create risk for injury more than they provide safety.

@anderd, my first thought was expressed by psg712. I would recommend you use a bed alarm, door alarm, or alarm floor pads/mats. I would NOT recommend you use a gate.

Sleep disturbances are unfortunately one of the main reasons for placement. You cannot be a caregiver if you are exhausted. It is all a trade off or balance between safety and the reality of what you can actually physically and financially do. No two situations are the same, you just have to try and see what works. In those recent posts I mentioned earlier they talked about using a tall gate, more like a door, in the hallway, not near the stairs. You could put alarms right before the gate, so that they would not go off so long as she stayed in her room. A stop sign and light on the gate, or on her bedroom door. Try to determine why she is getting up, bathroom visits or pain, or she thinks it is morning. Very often people have to resort to medications. Talk to her doctor. A low dose of melatonin is often proscribed for falling asleep along with the usual sleep routines. Antidepressants are often added to keep someone asleep longer. Again, there are tradeoffs. Medication, especially in the beginning, can increase fall risk. If you do go the medication route she would need to be monitored more closely. You could try to get help for some of the nights.

No matter what you do, you are probably going to be waking up at least once a night. If nothing works you will have to consider placement.