Assisted Living Directory Blog

This is a great question that we received this week through our site – we’d like to invite anyone who might have input to comment. Thank you! – David (editor)

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Hello,

Is there an assisted living environment in the area, that caters to early stages Alzheimer’s patients who wander but are not yet appropriate for memory care?

My Mother has Alzheimer’s. She is in the early stages and is currently living in an assisted living facility, in Portland, Oregon. She enjoys her own apartment and the many activities that this environment offers. Lately, she has begun to wander from the facility. This, of course, poses a huge liability to my Mother and the facility. Some of the staff have recommended that we move her to the memory care unit. While visiting memory care, we observed people who were much more advanced in the disease. Many were catatonic, lifeless and immobile. Aside from some memory loss, my mother is still very lucid, savvy and mobile. She was very disturbed by what she saw. I feel that if put in this environment, she would decline emotionally, very quickly.

We have researched adult foster care but feel that my mother really benefits from her private apartment, coupled with many people and activities.

Is there an assisted living environment that monitors the doors closely, not allowing Alzheimer’s patients to leave without supervision or redirects them back into the facility? Or, is there a facility that has a secure outdoor setting, allowing people to wander outside without risk?

Please send any resources that you think might be viable.

Much Appreciation,
Troy