What is a "locked unit"? Confused here

Hi haileybug, it sounds like he does some walking around/wandering, but is not "exit-seeking". If MC was recommended, then Assisted Living would not be suitable for very long, if at all.

In looking at big Memory Care facilities, I found that some were designed in a circle. The person could just keep going around, which was nice, because you don't come to a stop at a door to try and open. One place had both a garden that residents could walk in and out of (but no exit), and also an antique car in a sort of showroom. So if they liked walking or wheeling, there were these things to see along the way, and by the time they came around again, it might all be new.

I found that a group home works well for my mother. The home is just a large house in a regular neighborhood, licensed for up to six residents. Some group homes do memory care, others do not. It is cozier than a SNH and also less costly. Maybe it's also an option, as he sounds able to care for himself to some extent.

We are told that BIL does not try to wander away from building that he just wanders inside building. He can feed and bathe himself. He is in a wheelchair for the most part.

At it's core assisted living is designed for relatively healthy, mentally competent people who need minimal assistance with basic things like housekeeping and meals, there is also usually a fee for service model in place for those who need help with things like managing their medications or bathing. While many ALs claim to offer more care than this I am deeply suspicious that their focus is more on occupancy rates than on providing the level of care actually needed.

Memory care accepts those whose cognitive problems mean they need much more supervision because they can no longer be trusted to look after their own needs - they may wander, be exit seeking, forget to eat or overeat, forget to bathe, they may be fearful or aggressive, act out sexually, they may become obsessive, they often have sleep difficulties and become incontinent. The staff to resident ratio for these people should be higher, the activities offered need to take into account their deficits, and units are locked to prevent the kind of lost elder tragedies we too often read about in the news.

My step father and wife live in AL, they basically come and go as they please. When they are moved to Memory care, they can come and go out the door of their apartment, but, the hallway doors will be locked. They have a special wing for MC, including a dining room, craft room and more all in one wing.