Need a stairgate to stop me falling down stairs at night.

Thank you everyone. Last night no sleep until around 6 and then awake at 7.20. Desperately in need of a sleeping tablet but so afraid of another fall. The doorbell goes and my son in law arrived and I tell him I found a taller gate on Amazon. He looked and measured and said it was okay. He explained the different fittings which would need a small bit of wood taken off the bannister. There are screws as well. It comes tomorrow but he is on holiday for just over a week but will come and fit it on Sunday week. Just don’t fall down in the next 10 days was the instruction. As suggested a doctor made an appointment to go to surgery next Tuesday for an assessment before going to a clinic. He has given me some time to get rid of the uti which I was experiencing when he talked to me. We now have lights that come on when sensing motion between bedroom and bathroom and lighting up stairs. Also have now got a walker just for upstairs. My real problem is not sleeping and afraid to take sleeping tablet in case of the stairs. Also really wonky legs as I walk. I will try to send photo of the order. Thank you all so much. If this doesn’t work out I think the carpenter route is the way to go.

Well it says image coming soon but still nothing. The make is Comomy and is a tall stairgate.

Apparently we have a local frailty clinic - which seems to be top secret! A friend who is with the same surgery as us just told me about it. I'm rather cross because DH could really have done with help when he came out of hospital.

Can you make enquiries at your surgery to see if there is a similar clinic, Lovetopaint?

My sister in law bought a second-hand wrought iron full height door/gate for the top of her stairs. She had it fitted to the wall by a professional. She was really happy with it as it could also be locked giving her an extra layer of security.

Allira hoping to find out about a clinic referral next Tuesday.. Thank you.

No good asking Occupation therapy anything. Requested advice on bathroom in March. Still got 17 weeks to wait.

You might not like the sound of this, but if you are just getting up for a quick wee you would be much safer with a commode.
Easy to empty the bucket in the morning!

My friend did fall down the stairs going from her bedroom to the loo in the dark. She had a bleed on the brain and has been very unwell ever since.

I live in an old cottage and have the same danger area on the landing. I am going to ask my son to put a handrail on the wall opposite the stairs.

farmgran

You might not like the sound of this, but if you are just getting up for a quick wee you would be much safer with a commode.
Easy to empty the bucket in the morning!

I agree with this, my OH has used a commode post stroke because his mobility can be a bit wobbly, he is back upstairs in his own bed after sleeping downstairs for months, so has the commode because our bathroom is at the top of the stairs and am scared of him falling.
Are planning to move to a bungalow as and when we can sell our house and organise everything.

Help Lovetopaint037, I feel your anxiety! My house has a stupid design, small bedroom is the nicer as it has a veranda. But I’m frightened of sleeping in there as when you come out of the door onto the landing, you are literally on the top stair!

So I sleep in a huge room!

Is an insane design fault putting bathrooms directly at the top of the stairs.
I imagine many have suffered bad accidents in the night due to this.

I would seek an appt at the Gp first to see where you go from there - why are you waking?
Hope you get some restful, safe sleep.

NotSpaghetti

Wouldn't you need to have something much taller? I'm sure I could fall over an ordinary height stairgate if I stumbled onto it at night. And they aren't very sturdy... I might look to have something made specially - or fit a garden gate at a sensible height?

This isn't a UK company but I'm sure there must be similar here:
www.gatekeepersafe.com

Simply fix it higher up? After all she is not going to crawl under

Thank you again everyone. The commode is not an idea I fancy but if the gate doesn’t work out I will certainly consider that. The appt with the doctor is an assessment as he says various things can cause it. I will explain that all the falls in the day haven’t been caused by dizziness etc. I have been fully awake. Each one had a cause - missing the last step on the kitchen steps and falling back onto washing machine Had to go to A&E, Then talking to someone who called me over to their driveway and I stepped back onto an old gate stop (only one still left in any driveway around here and they were just moving in) soA&E for 7 stitches in my arm. Not lifting my leg high enough getting onto bus and falling on the deck resulting in lots of bleeding and an ulcer etc etc etc. ones recently at night all involving being half asleep. I am just not sleeping. Terrified of taking sleeping tablet and yet need it. So will hope to make the doctor understand that I need help with the sleep problem and also the weak legs and balance. Hope to be referred to the falling clinic.

Why don't you put a conventional child's stair gate across the door to your bedroom which would prevent you falling before you got to the top of the stairs and save the expense of a carpenter or dog gate. We found a stairgate I our local Oxfam..cheap as chips. Then returned it when little ones didn't need it any more.

Yoh can get a glass gate made. Really tough glass. Fitted with hinges so opens full width and no foot rail needed. My son has one at the bottom of stairs and one on the stairs that leads to a couple of bedrooms. Needed to curtail dog. You just flick a lever to open and close.

Make sure that it opens onto the landing, not the stairs!!
.

Notspaghetti

Well, obviously one would just fix it higher up the wall (thus higher off the ground).

One presumes Lovetopaint037 wouldn't be likely to want to crawl underneath!!
.

I really think investigating the cause of these falls would be wise.

You could fall, hit the stair gate and knock yourself out. Not being alarmist but it's a thought.

My husband built a gate for our stairs, so dogs can't go up.

Easy diy, screwed in place, safe.

I have no suggestions to add to any of the good ones above, but just wanted to say that it is great that you have recognised this as a potential danger before it has happened.

Three or four years ago I was still half asleep when I came out of the bathroom one night (no light on!) and somehow went past the bedroom door and came within a hair's breadth of turning into the staircase instead. Miraculously, some second sense stopped me at the last possible moment, but even now, it still scares me how close I came to tumbling down our dangerously steep, narrow staircase. Since then, a nightlight, originally used only when the grandchildren were staying the night, is left on all the time.

If you are at risk of falling and do not feel safe. Please speak to your GP and request referral to the falls team. A stairgate could cause more problems than it's worth!

I agree that you need to see your gp and get a referral to the falls clinic . Physios will help you with your balance and the OTs can come to your house to see if changes can be made . My mother is a falls risk and she now has a commode in her bedroom. Plus my husband fitted a sensor to her landing light , so she has light when she leaves the bedroom .
The OTs will also give advice on a stair gate and whether it’s right for you .
Plus get your gp to investigate your not sleeping . Do you have AC or friends who would be a second pair of ears and help fight your cause .

The tall gate in the picture will only be useful at the bottom of the stairs and not the top, which is where I would need it.

If anyone is falling on their landing at night, there is a real chance they would tumble all the way downstairs. I think an OT would politely suggest the person has their bed moved downstairs and adjust to downstairs living, and to not risk causing a life changing injury.