As things have changed since I was a girl (back in the Dark Ages) we are finding that we lock our doors when we leave the house and at night. This is instead of locking the front door so folks know you are not home but leaving the back door unlocked in case they need to get in. Images in movies include apartment doors with three, four and sometimes more deadbolt locks as well as chains. There is a perceived need for locks that is probably accurate. In order to be effective, the door jamb needs to be sturdy, the throw of the dead bolt (how far it goes into the door jamb) needs to be at least 1 1/2 inches and the door itself needs to be sturdy. A good locksmith will be able to set this up for a reasonable fee. It is also the law in many states that at least one door can be unlocked from the inside without a key. Just be sure that this door does not have a window that is easily broken to allow someone to reach through to turn the lock.
One thing we need to be aware of is that we cannot lock to house up so tightly that getting out in an emergency is a problem. If you have a family member who wanders, consider installing an alarm system to warn you if they leave the house. There are also pendants to be worn around the neck that are GPS equipped. These can be programmed to alert someone if the person goes beyond the perimeter that has been set up and to locate someone by pinpointing their location.
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