Haileybug, that is a good question regarding residents wandering out the door. I know that was my main concern with my Dad after he moved into Memory Care.
Where my Dad was living, there was a Staff member who manned the front desk. Visitors could come in the front door easily, but anyone wanting to leave the front door the Staff person would need to buzz them out. The Staff knew all of the residents and knew all of the visitors. She would need to distract a resident she knew isn't allowed outside on their own.
The facility also had sunrooms that had access to going outside. That doors had buzz type alarms on them, also code boxes so the Staff or a regular visitor could bring a resident outside to courtyard.
The elevator would not go the basement level without a code. Stairwells were also coded.
You have some research ahead of you to find out how the Memory Care units are in your area. Hopefully we have given you some questions to ask the Staff.
haileybug, the way I view "lock down" is no different then us having our front door and back door to the house locked.
At the Memory Care facility where my Dad lived, one floor for dedicated for Memory Care. The residents in Memory Care had free range to the rest of the building except at night, when the elevator wouldn't move unless a person had the code.
The residents were free to lock their apartment doors at night if they wished. The Staff knew which residents would "wander" so unless those night-walkers were going into other resident's rooms, chances are other arrangements were made.
I also think it depends on how the facility is built. Dad's facility was built like a Victorian hotel with large beautiful lobbies, large restaurant style dining rooms [memory care floor had their own cozy dining area]. Other places I had visited were like hospital wards so that projected a different feeling.
The Independent building side of this facility, the main front door locked at 9pm with a doorbell for after hours. The Assisted Living facility the front door was locked at dusk, again with a doorbell for after hours. One wouldn't want strangers wandering in who had no business being there.
All the facilities that I have toured place MC patients on lock down. AL and LTC do not. Might have something to do with the facility layout, I do not know. All I can say is, I would like my MC loved one to be safe and not be able to roam outside.
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Where my Dad was living, there was a Staff member who manned the front desk. Visitors could come in the front door easily, but anyone wanting to leave the front door the Staff person would need to buzz them out. The Staff knew all of the residents and knew all of the visitors. She would need to distract a resident she knew isn't allowed outside on their own.
The facility also had sunrooms that had access to going outside. That doors had buzz type alarms on them, also code boxes so the Staff or a regular visitor could bring a resident outside to courtyard.
The elevator would not go the basement level without a code. Stairwells were also coded.
You have some research ahead of you to find out how the Memory Care units are in your area. Hopefully we have given you some questions to ask the Staff.
At the Memory Care facility where my Dad lived, one floor for dedicated for Memory Care. The residents in Memory Care had free range to the rest of the building except at night, when the elevator wouldn't move unless a person had the code.
The residents were free to lock their apartment doors at night if they wished. The Staff knew which residents would "wander" so unless those night-walkers were going into other resident's rooms, chances are other arrangements were made.
I also think it depends on how the facility is built. Dad's facility was built like a Victorian hotel with large beautiful lobbies, large restaurant style dining rooms [memory care floor had their own cozy dining area]. Other places I had visited were like hospital wards so that projected a different feeling.
The Independent building side of this facility, the main front door locked at 9pm with a doorbell for after hours. The Assisted Living facility the front door was locked at dusk, again with a doorbell for after hours. One wouldn't want strangers wandering in who had no business being there.
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