Kelly Riker
May 2026
Yesterday, we moved my mother into this memory care facility. Within hours of admission, my mother — who has dementia and was admitted specifically because she requires secured supervision — was able to leave the locked memory care unit, pass through the lobby, and exit the building through the front door without staff intervention or notification to our family.<br>Our family became aware that she was missing before staff appeared to initiate any organized emergency response. We repeatedly asked staff to contact law enforcement and were met with hesitation and a lack of urgency. Police were only contacted after my father strongly insisted multiple times that the situation be treated seriously.<br>At no point during the initial emergency did staff clearly explain:<br>how my mother exited a supposedly secured unit,<br>what monitoring systems were in place,<br>what procedures were being followed to locate her,<br>or why staff were unaware she had left the building.<br>During the incident, staff communication appeared disorganized and inadequate. We observed no visible emergency coordination tools such as radios or a coordinated search effort. Staff members involved did not provide reassurance, updates, or meaningful communication to our family while my cognitively impaired mother was missing.<br>My mother was ultimately found approximately two miles away walking alongside a roadway by a nurse employed at the facility who had enough sense to take the situation seriously, get in her car, and actively search for her. We are deeply grateful for that individual’s actions. Without her initiative, the outcome could have been far worse. Only after my mother was recovered did staff offer an apology.<br>Additional concerns from our first day included:<br>visitor identification procedures that appeared careless and inconsistent, a lack of acknowledgment or communication from front desk personnel, and an overall absence of professionalism and accountability following a serious resident safety event.<br>We were also instructed not to return for two to three days so that my mother could “acclimate,” despite the fact that she had already wandered from the secured unit on her very first day.<br>This review is being posted to document our experience accurately and factually. Families place enormous trust in memory care facilities to provide secured supervision for vulnerable residents suffering from cognitive impairment. Based on our experience, we have serious concerns regarding resident safety protocols, staff training, emergency response times, and general well being of our mom.
