The garage door opener is one of those machines nobody thinks about until the day it stops in the middle of the driveway. Dad probably uses it every day without a second thought, which is the reason it helps to have a simple routine that someone else can check on for him.
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Test the safety reversal
Once a month, lay a flat board or a piece of wood on the floor where the door will close, and run the door down. A working opener should stop and reverse when the door touches the board. If it does not reverse, do not use the door until a technician has looked at it. Pick the same day each month for the test, and write it on a card inside the cabinet door so it becomes a habit rather than something you have to remember.
Clean and check the sensors
The two small sensors near the floor on either side of the door are what tell the opener that something is in the way. Wipe their lenses with a dry cloth, and check that they point at each other and that their lights are steady. A cobweb or a fallen leaf is a common reason a door will not close, and it is also the easiest fix.
Keep the moving parts moving
Look at the track, the rollers, and the hinges, and wipe away old grit. Use the lubricant the manual recommends, which is often a light silicone spray for the rollers and hinges, and skip anything thick that collects dust. Do not adjust the springs or the cables yourself. If you see a broken spring, a frayed cable, or a door that sits crooked, call someone who does this work for a living.
Keep the remotes and the release working
Replace the batteries in the remote and the keypad once a year, and keep a spare remote in the house with Dad and another with you. Find the emergency release cord, which hangs from the opener rail, and show him how it works. A bit of bright tape on the cord makes it easy to spot in the dark, and anyone who might need to get in should know it is there.
Who owns the routine
A machine that gets checked is one with a name next to it. Decide who does the monthly reversal test, who keeps the spare remote, and who calls for service. Put the manual and any warranty papers in the same drawer as the other house papers, so the next person who needs them does not have to search the garage.