When to close the kitchen?

Hi Reverend!  It's good to see you posting! 

Does your mom love to cook?  Is it part of who she is?  I'm trying to put myself in her situation and I'd be truly sad if I couldn't cook.  On Caring.com, we talk a lot about taking the keys away from a parent who is a danger on the road.  I wonder if some of the same advice could be applied to this situation.  Check out this article.  http://www.caring.com/articles/elderly-parents-driving-ability  I just reread it replacing "driving" with "cooking" and it feels pretty relevant.

Maybe one thing to note to her is that while cooking unattended probably isn't the best idea anymore, this doesn't mean her culinary "career" is over.  Talk to her about how much you love her homemade fill-in-the-blank and would really enjoy making it with her.  Or even would love for her to make it with your family at your home. 

I'm hoping others who have been in this situation post with more specific advice.  And please keep us updated!  I'll be thinking about you and your mom.

Missy gave you wonderful advice there, Reverend. Please let us know how things are going, what solutions you may have tried!

Just last week, I took the knobs of my 92 yr. old mom's gas stove.  She recently has completely burned several pans which filled her entire apt. with smoke and she just sat there not fully understanding what was happening.   Very scary!  I really  feared she'd one day burn the house down. It was a very tough decision since my mom loves to cook but I had no other choice.  I replace the knobs when I am home with her so I can watch her when she cooks, then when I leave, I remove and take the knobs with me ( I live upstairs from her).   She's adjusted farily well to this and feel much more at ease while I am at work.  

Hey Reverend,

I know it's been awhile since your original post, but I'm wondering how you and your mom are doing.  Did you have the talk with her about not cooking unassisted anymore?  How did it go?  How are you "enforcing it"?  And how's she doing without her stove?

Our home care person suggested to unscrew the fuses in the stove when you are not there.