Wandering and exit-seeking behavior is a recognized safety risk that often signals it's time to consider additional home safety measures — door alarms, a medical alert system with GPS, and possibly a home health aide for supervised hours — before or instead of an immediate move. If safety can't be reliably managed at home, ask about adult care homes with a licensed Special Care Unit, which are specifically required to have secured entrances and dementia-trained staff under North Carolina's SCU disclosure rules. In an active emergency where she has left the home and is missing, call 911 immediately rather than waiting.
How families here handle this
Exit-seeking behavior is one of the most frightening symptoms families deal with, since a parent who wanders off in a Garner neighborhood can be gone and disoriented within minutes, especially near roads or wooded areas common in eastern Wake County subdivisions. Home-based safety measures — door and window alarms, GPS trackers built into a medical alert pendant, or motion-sensor lighting — can buy meaningful time and are worth trying before assuming a move is the only answer, particularly if the person is otherwise safe and content at home. When home safety can no longer be assured, North Carolina's Special Care Unit designation specifically requires facilities to disclose their physical security features (like secured egress) and staff dementia training as part of the state-mandated disclosure statement, which is the right document to review before choosing a memory care placement.
Related questions
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