Last verified: October 2026
What should you do first when a parent with dementia wanders?
Make the home safer right away: add door alarms or chimes, remove car keys, keep a recent photo and a list of places your parent might go, and tell neighbors; then ask the physician for an evaluation, since sudden changes can have treatable causes.
If your parent is missing, call 911 immediately.
When is a secured dementia unit needed?
A secured unit becomes the safer choice when wandering or exit-seeking continues despite supervision at home, especially at night; Pennsylvania requires a dementia diagnosis and a preadmission screening documenting the need before admission to a secured unit.
71 homes around Pittsburgh hold a licensed secured unit.
How do you find a licensed secured dementia unit near you?
Look for a Secure Dementia Care Unit or Special Care Unit on the home's DHS certificate, then compare capacity, location and inspection history; our memory care directory lists every licensed unit in the seven counties with its bed count and latest inspection date.
Every licensed dementia unit, sortable →
What help is available while you decide?
The county Area Agency on Aging can assess your parent for OPTIONS in-home services and caregiver support, and adult day programs give supervised daytime hours; if your parent is eligible, LIFE combines a day center with in-home help.
Respite stays in a personal care home can also give a family caregiver a break and a trial run.
Which counties have the most secured dementia beds?
Secured dementia beds are concentrated in Allegheny County, with 1,632 of the region's 2,380; Westmoreland has 309, Butler 248, Washington 91, Beaver 77, Fayette 23 and Armstrong none.
Families in Armstrong and Fayette counties often look toward Butler, Westmoreland or Allegheny County for a secured unit.
What should you ask a secured dementia unit about wandering?
Ask how the unit's exits are secured, whether there is a safe outdoor space residents can use on their own, how staff respond when a resident tries to leave, how many staff are on the unit at night, and whether the unit has had an elopement in recent DHS inspection reports.
Then read the home's most recent DHS inspection summaries yourself; they are linked from our facility pages.
Wandering: what helps and what does not
| Helps | Does not help | |
|---|---|---|
| At home | alarms, routines, ID | locking someone in alone |
| Setting | licensed secured unit | an unlicensed 'memory floor' |
| Records | DHS certificate shows the unit | brochure claims |
| Support | AAA, adult day, LIFE | waiting for a crisis |
