The place where my MIL is has 2 locking doors that you enter through with a
code and after that the place is open to them.  But that place is dedicated
to Alzheimer's/memory problems.  Some of the places we've looked at have
"wanderguard" bracelets but they can't have problems with determined
residents.

Before she reached the stage she is at now, she was found wandering 3 times
but her doc (at that time) wouldn't agree to keeping her in the secured area
for Alzheimer's people.  He said it wouldn't provide enough stimulation for
her.  Since we brought her to the city we live in, we haven't had that
problem, but her Alzheimer's is also more evident now.  I think if the
building is built on a sufficiently open design it might be almost
impossible to eliminate the risk.

Karen

move him as soon as you can find a better place, and *after*
you've done so, TELL THEM WHY.

in the interim, you should ask if they have bracelets/badges that
could prevent the door from opening if he's nearby.  that's what
our local facilities have in their dementia units.  only staff
can open the doors if someone with a bracelet is within about 20
feet of the doors.  there is also a fire dept. override outside
each door.

Any good place that takes dementia patients has an accountability to
provide appropriate security. My MIL was in a locked down ward, which
is common for AD and other dementia wards. There were keypads on every
exit door and the elevators (i.e. you had to punch in a code to open
all doors including the stairwells and elevator, plus another one you
had to punch in to get the elevator car to actually leave the floor),
and then again on all the exit doors to the actual building. All
residents wore wandergard bracelets that set off an alarm if they got
out a perimeter door. There was a security desk by the door where there
were pictures of all the residents up on a board, with the potential
wanderers highlighted. They had big signs by the doors telling visitors
NOT to let people out (visitors often don't realize the nice old lady
trying to push her way out the door really has no business going out).
My MIL wore medic alert bracelet identifying her as a dementia patient.
She had name tags in all her clothes with a contact number on them, and
the name of the facility. I've also heard of places that put special
clothing on wanderers, like a red t-shirt - so that all visitors and
staff realize this person is a potential wander risk.

If the facility your dad is in is NOT doing all of the above, something
is really wrong, and you have to have a long talk with them about
whether they are the appropriate facility. He needs to be locked in if
he has any propensity to wander.

Every year, there are news stories here about people with dementia
getting out and getting lost. More often than not, they have wandered
away from private homes because their families have not taken the risk
seriously enough - but it does happen that they get out of very secure
institutional facilities. The result is often tragic - they get hit by
cars, they get into a ravine or wooded area and aren't found before
they die of exposure or hunger/thirst, they get assaulted.

Mary G.