A bathroom lock is meant to give privacy, and most of the time it does. At night, though, a lock she turns after she goes in can keep her inside after a fall, when she cannot reach the handle and you cannot get in. This failure is easy to miss because nothing happens until the one night it does.
Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.
How it goes wrong
She goes in, turns the lock out of habit, and then has a fall, a dizzy spell, or simply cannot stand up from the toilet. She cannot reach the handle to unlock it, and from the hall you hear nothing. The door is shut, the light is on, and no one knows she is stuck until morning.
Early signs to watch for
Notice whether she has started locking the door when she never did before, whether she stays in the bathroom for long stretches, whether she taps or calls out when she is done, and whether she sleeps alone in the house. Any of these means the lock needs a check soon, not after the next fall.
Test the release from outside
Stand in the hall and ask whether the door opens from outside without a key, a special tool, or a hard push. Try it with the door fully closed and the lock turned. Note whether the release needs a key, a small tool, or a particular turn, and where that tool is kept. Write the answer on a card inside the hall closet door, not in a drawer, so whoever finds the door shut knows at once what to do.
Decide what changes
If the lock cannot be opened from outside by an adult of ordinary strength, the fix is to change it to one that releases from the outside, or to remove it if she agrees. A locksmith or handyman can quote that work. Get the quote in writing and ask what happens to the door if the new hardware is installed wrong.
If you are unsure where to start locally, our local help page lists options in St. Louis.