I’m not sure what your question is.
Are you worried about him escaping while you are out? If so then I do think that placing him in a cage while you are away is the safest thing to do. If you are away all weekend and this is your dog and your responsibility for his care and safety then this is another question you must answer as his primary care giver. If you share custody of this dog with someone in the house then I think you both need to sit down and discuss the situation.
It sounds like your dog knows you are leaving and is upset about it. We don’t want to discourage that kind of loyalty and love do we?
First: get a full “senior” bloodwork panel done. Rule out anything medical.
Second: hide all trash and all food. Counter and garbage surfing are self-reinforcing. Lock the trash away, get a locking can. Remove all food from all counters and put them in a secure cabinet. Lock the fridge with a child lock, if necessary.
Third: Crate when you can’t supervise.
This is usually medical if it’s sudden like this, but you need to be proactive in your prevention, and it’s always a multiprong approach.
Thank you!