My husband and I found what we thought would be the perfect fit for my husband's brother. It is a "locked ALF", where you must have a code to enter or exit the building and is right here at home.
We made several visits with the ED there and everything seemed to be going so positive. Then she just decides she feels she can not take him there due to his "wandering" (he will not try to wander away from the building but he "wanders" within) and that he was a fall risk. Therefore, suggesting a "Memory Care Unit" for him.
The thing is, he was already in a Memory Care Unit before he went to SN for rehab (after surgery) and was a "wanderer" and "fall risk" there. The care was not any different.
We really would like him at this facility (if indeed they truly can take care of his needs)
What do you all think?
I have visited a Memory Care Unit before and honestly I did not see much difference in it than a regular AL. The only thing different that I could see was dementia patients were just locked away from the other residents. More security to keep them from wandering away from facility.
If you suspect that this may be a ploy for a more pricey cost of living you could play hardball a bit, and say that you had been SO happy and thought you had found the most wonderful idea, but now are not sure and need to go away a think a bit. Still, if their concerns are real they won't budge. It is a question of liability for them as well.
Assisted living facilities can deal with wandering but when wandering becomes EXIT SEEKING its time for memory care. My dad went through this transition. He was always setting off the alarms going out to look for his car. He’s in memory care now but it took months for his car hunting to calm down.