bethben Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 I have a 15 year old "toddler" in a wheelchair. He has no sense of personal safety. In a month we will be moving to a home with an open basement staircase. I also have other children who forget often. If I put a traditional safety gate at the top of the stairs, I can see a sibling opening the gate to go downstairs and forgetting to close it. That is a serious safety issue. Are there any automatically locking safety gates? I have thought about putting a piece of furniture at the top of the stairs, but logistically, that doesn't work at all since I would constantly be having to move the piece of furniture to get past it for bathroom access. Beth 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbecueMom Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 We just bought a new stair gate yesterday at Lowe's and saw several "auto close" gates nearby. Amazon has some that look well reviewed and are suitable for stairs, but I've never tried one. I can't link on the phone, but try searching "auto close baby gate" to find them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wendyroo Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 I've never tried it, but the Dreambaby Auto Close Security Gate seems to be well reviewed. Wendy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 You might want to consider installing a half-height door that automatically closes. A door would be more sturdy than a gate. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purpleowl Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 I don't have any advice, but I just had to say that I misread the thread title as "foot proof baby gate," and I thought you were looking for one that wouldn't hurt your feet when you ran into it. I was totally going to commiserate! :lol: But I do hope you are able to find a solution that works well for your family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurel Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Search for "walk thru" gates. A good friend has this gate: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000JJDI0G/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?qid=1427036915&sr=8-4Ï€=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&keywords=walk+thru+gate&dpPl=1&dpID=51QYcmrwZkL&ref=plSrch (Sorry for the awful link; I'm on my phone...) The opening is small enough that even if your other kids forget to close it, a wheelchair wouldn't fit through. You may not need the pet door part, but there are other "walk thru" gates that may work. I would worry about a safety gate being sturdy enough to hold up against a wheelchair, though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 You can also put an alarm on the gate to remind others to close it. Something that would only stop beeping when closed. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 I believe you need far more than a baby gate. I believe this is a potential catastrophe and that something far more capable is required for what you described. GL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 What if you had a creative contractor come in and design something for it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 I second the idea of a half-height door. Then put these types of pins on the hinges so that the door self-closes http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-Hardware-755885-Automatic-Closer/dp/B00004Z0YC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1427040021&sr=8-2&keywords=auto+close+hinges 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethben Posted March 22, 2015 Author Share Posted March 22, 2015 What if you had a creative contractor come in and design something for it? I may wind up doing that. I was just hoping for an easy solution. I do like the alarm thing. Those are fairly easy to install. Maybe I have to do a combo thing - specialty door/gate along with an alarm. Right now I have a door to the basement with special hinges that make the door close automatically. We bought a house that had most of our requirements with the thought we could make changes as needed. This is our biggest concern overall. I like to give ds freedom to roam the house, but I have to make it secure first. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 The alarm would also serve to "train" everyone else to keep the door/gate/furniture closed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethben Posted March 22, 2015 Author Share Posted March 22, 2015 For anyone who may search for this later...I found these: http://www.gatekeepersafe.com/baby-gates-gallery.php They look like they're much safer. I'm sure there's a nice price tag with them. Since they are custom made, I am seeing if they can add a spring hinge to them. If not, I think one of those springs to have garden gates close automatically should do the trick. I googled elder care and safety gate and got a whole different range of options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.