They were in the home. that's easy access in my book.
I'm on both sides here.
I absolutley, totally want the right to own whatever weapons I choose.
But both my Grandfather and my Mother had Alzheimer's and I wouldn't have wanted with of them anywhere near anything that could shoot.
(Gramps was a typical "second childhood" type and would have played shoot 'em up, Mom whould have gotten Dad as an intruder (we had a real incident of that type, w/o weapons, though).
Maybe the real deal here is that Doc wasn't adequately protecting his wife; maybe he's going a little round the bend himself.