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

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!

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

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

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.

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?

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

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.

You need an urgent referral to your local falls clinic. Ask at your GP. I know somebody who was referred a couple of years ago. They dealt not only with the medical side of reasons for falls, but arranged physio to improve balance and muscle strength and arranged for occupational health to do a home visit to identify risks. I believe there is some financial help available for adaptations, if money is tight.

PS. I've read your posts about painkillers - you need some help to find out why you're falling in the first place.

How about keeping a walking aid in the bedroom so you could use it to negotiate your way safely to the bathroom? Even if you don't need it during the daytime it could be useful at night.

Just don't fall over it!

Lovetopaint is this because of lack of light or giddiness? Do seek medical help it could be low blood pressure. More than once is concerning.

If all is well health wise, it might be suggested that you go to balance exercises run by physiotherapists.
Good idea.

However, I don't lose my balance but could fall over a pin!

RosieandherMaw

Like this .

I’m sure others are available.

DH made one similar to that when our DC were small as stairgates weren't so readily available.

I'd ask for recommendations for a local carpenter who could fit a bespoke one, sturdy and high enough to stop you falling downstairs if you stumbled against it half asleep.

The metal ready made ones have the fitting along the bottom, easy to trip over, and I'm not sure it wouldn't give way if you fell against it heavily.

I get up in the night and stagger to the loo in the dark , but I’m in a bungalow , however one night I must have been more dopey than usual, and had no idea where I was
Since then I have put the lights on when I get out of bed
My mother-in-law used to wander in the night. We got a stair gate , she climbed over it ! We then got a joiner to make a wooden garden gate , actually really sturdy and tall ,
I would be worried about you hurting yourself on the landing never mind falling down the stair , maybe get the doctor to investigate why you are falling .

As well as thinking about the suggestions on here, wouldn’t it also be a good idea to seek medical help to find out why you keep falling over?
If all is well health wise, it might be suggested that you go to balance exercises run by physiotherapists.

In the meantime I think the idea of a proper door at the top of the stairs would be your safest option.

I hope you find a solution soon.

I sense a gap in the market for some enterprising person here! My bedroom door also opens out straight onto the stairs and it could become a hazard for me too, as I realised last night when I almost tripped on my way to the loo.

Why not just get a carpenter to come and fit a proper door. I was brought up in a cottage with a door that opened onto the landing🙂

Kept the heat in downstairs during the day too.

I have a stair lift and it turns round to let you off at the top and stays there to stop you accidentally falling downstairs.

I bought a tall dog gate from Amazon. It’s high enough to keep you from falling but I’m not sure it would withstand a person falling heavily into it.
My lab weighs five stone, he rarely jumps up on it now (😇) but it withstands him leaping paws up when my son in law arrives and the dog gets giddy.
I expect yiu could find a handy man to fix it permanently rather than rely on the usual fixtures.

Alternatively a sofa bed downstairs, providing you have a downstairs toilet. Best of luck

The advice given by teabagwoman would be my advice too.
Contact your local Occupational health department. They will help you.

This is a worry. As others have said will a baby stair gate be enough?
You could get a larger garden style gate instead as has been suggested.
My advice in the long term would be to think of possibly moving to a bungalow or ground floor flat all on one level if these falls are to be a regular possibility.
All the best.

I would have concerns about anything as flimsy as that in the picture above, it certainly might not stop anyone toppling over the top if it!
Perhaps, OP, the safe option would be to move to an apartment or bungalow?

How about contacting your local Occupational Therapy department and asking their advice? They may also come up with other suggestions to help you and prevent you falling in the first place.

You might be better off with a dog gate rather than a baby gate. Dog gates are much taller. Alternatively, find a good local carpenter/joiner who could make exactly want you want. You are sensible to make precautions.

You will need a purpose built gate, strong wood, cerefully positioned and fixed. Ask for someone experienced with wood in your local facebook. That is a very good idea OP and prevention is always better than cure

An acquaintance fell downstairs, broke their pelvis and consequently suffered a heart attack, gone from managing to immobile

I would have one specially made. We did this when we had a large dog who used to launch himself at gates, (don't ask!). The gate was hinged with the opening coming onto the landing side so you had to pull it towards yourself to go downstairs. The lock bit was a thumb turn lock on both sides. There was obviously no need for a base either.
Ours didn't have bars or slats, it was plain wood, which I preferred because it gave the feel of proper division between the two areas.