Experiences with refrigerator locks

dancsfo · October 21

I've seen posts in this forum about refrigerator locks, such as the ones sold at Amazon that adheres to the door and main case, and has a cable connecting to the two parts with a lock. What experiences have people had with them? I suspect that it will trigger anger, and pulling on the door until the glued pads fall off. I think that it is difficult to avoid the rummaging of the fridge, and I may just need to accept the pile of food that gets placed on the counter top.

Perhaps placing a small "dorm fridge" elsewhere can be a distraction instead. Or put the actual food in a fridge elsewhere and keep the main fridge partly empty (which is what I'm partially doing, but it is inconvenient)

The PWD does not remember what food is stored, so will pull it out to put it in plain sight. Or pretends to prepare a meal (but has not done so for several years) by setting random ingredients out. I guess any suspected reason doesn't really matter.

SusanB-dil · October 22

Sorry you are dealing with this. I would go with a small dorm-fridge if you could. Maybe put non-perishables in the main fridge as a distraction.

harshedbuzz · October 22

@dancsfo

I suspect most fridge locks are intended to work for toddlers not adults.

Fridge raids were a common ASD behavior when I moderated forums. One strategy often suggested was getting a second fridge to store the bulk of the food and any treats that need supervision and place that in a locked garage or basement area.

HB

dancsfo · October 23

Thanks @SusanB-dil and @harshedbuzz Thanks for your ideas. I have another fridge in a separate locked room, so I'll put more food there, and I'll just need to shuttle back and forth.

Most of the cable-based fridge locks do indeed seem to be intended for children as described in the Amazon store description, and only a few (of similar design) are labeled as "also for adults" and I think they just are trying to get a broader set of potential buyers (maybe for ASD?)

I found another design at the Alzheimer's Store website, meant to be secured with a padlock, but it seems difficult to use frequently.

harshedbuzz · October 23

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/256692#Comment_256692

I would worry, too, about a robust padlock system being a visual trigger for a person whose reality is that they are the one preparing meals.

dancsfo · October 23

@harshedbuzz Yes, I too worry that it may be a trigger.

What I do is (as many on this forum probably do), is to follow PWD where they go, especially the kitchen and also I try to prepare meals early before PWD thinks it is time to try it.

As the memory clinic staff suggested, it's fine to collaborate on food preparation or setting the table, as long as it's safe and it may make PWD feel more useful. It's a difficult determination, since my attempts to stop harmful or destructive actions can also be a trigger. (i.e. stopping touching something very hot)

Arrowhead · October 23

I tried one that attached with adhesive, but my wife is a strong woman and managed to rip it off. I tried another, reinforced with duct tape and that did the trick, but it did not look good.

dancsfo · October 24

@Arrowhead Seems like you had some resistance, but managed to get through. Good luck with the caregiving.

MN Chickadee · October 26

The amazon stick-on ones worked for us, but every PWD's temperament is different. If you think it will be a trigger for anger, then having a small back up fridge hidden away with high value items may be the way to go. Mom ruined a lot of food in her time at home until we got the locks. Even the there were still issues with other items and forgetting to lock the fridge or cabinets. We took to storing most kitchen items of value in the garage which was right off the kitchen, sometimes even in the locked car. Everything from food to favorite spatulas.
Similar vein - I just bought an upright freezer at Costco. It can also be used in fridge mode, and comes with a built in lock and a key. If you might like to eventually have an extra freezer or someone in your family would maybe look at that. It's not even that obvious it has a lock, not like a big padlock sticking out. Or a fridge model that is designed to be locked.

Experiences with refrigerator locks

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