At night the bedroom door is the first thing she reaches for. If she cannot turn it, the trip stalls before she reaches the hallway. Start by finding out whether the handle is the problem or whether her grip is.
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.
Test it from where she stands
Go to the bed side at her usual getting-up spot, with the lights at the level she uses at night. Try the handle with a closed fist, with the flat of the hand, and with one hand while the other holds the bed or the nightstand. Note which motion fails. A lever that opens with a downward push is usually easier than a round knob that needs a twist. If her grip or shoulder has changed, ask her physician or occupational therapist which handle style fits her; that is a clinical question, so the answer should come from them.
Check the door before you buy anything
Look at the edge where the latch sits. Find out whether the set is a passage set (no lock), a privacy set (a push button or turn on the inside), or a keyed set. A bedroom door usually needs a passage set. A keyed lock on the bedroom door she uses at night can trap her, and someone may need to get in fast. Measure the bore hole through the door face and the backset, which is the distance from the door edge to the center of the hole. Note the swing side as well, since the new handle has to be set for the way the door opens. Take the old handle to the store so the new one matches it.
Decide: your hands or a handyman
Swapping a handle is a short job for most people with a screwdriver, as long as the holes line up and the door closes without rubbing. Hire it out when the door binds on the frame, the latch misses the strike plate, the old screw holes are stripped, or the door needs planing or shimming to close. Ask any handyman three things in writing: whether the quote covers only the handle or also the strike plate and frame, whether the new set matches the bore and backset you measured, and whether they will test the latch from the hall with the door shut.
Write it down
Record the bore size, the backset, the swing side, the set type, and the name of the store or handyman. Keep that page in the drawer with the other house papers so the next person does not have to guess. Then walk the whole night route once more, since a door that opens easily still needs a clear path behind it. For the wider plan, the reading path on this site lays out the order to work through the rest of the stops.
Reading path: Start here: a reading path