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Wandering has become a concern

When staying home stops being viable, and what a secured memory care unit actually requires in your state.

Quick answer

When staying home stops being viable, and what a secured memory care unit actually requires in your state.

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Home›By Situation›Wandering has become a concern

Exit-seeking changes the calculation more than almost any other symptom, because it converts a supervision problem into a safety one.

Short answer

When staying home stops being viable, and what a secured memory care unit actually requires in your state.

What to do, in order

  1. Recognise what has changed. Exit-seeking converts a supervision problem into a safety one.
  2. Take practical steps immediately. Door alarms, secured exits, and enrolment in a wandering-response program.
  3. Understand Indiana's requirement. Indiana requires a written Alzheimer's and Dementia Special Care Disclosure under IC 12-10-5.5, not a separate state certification -- ask to see the document itself.
  4. Ask specific questions on tours. How are exits secured, what happens when a resident tries a door, what is the overnight staffing ratio inside the secured unit specifically.

Questions families ask

Is Indiana's Medicaid expansion (HIP) the same as long-term care Medicaid for seniors?

No. The Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP), Indiana's ACA expansion effective February 1, 2015, covers adults 19-64 based on income. Long-term-care Medicaid for seniors uses a separate, non-MAGI aged/blind/disabled eligibility pathway with different asset and income rules. The two are frequently and incorrectly conflated.

Is there a waitlist for Indiana's PathWays Waiver?

Yes, historically. At the program's July 2024 launch, 9,015 people were on the PathWays waiting list statewide out of 39,842 total slots. Current waitlist figures change; confirm today's status with CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions, the Area Agency on Aging serving this region.

What is Indiana's Medicaid Estate Recovery Program?

Indiana's Medicaid Estate Recovery Program (MERP) recovers amounts Medicaid paid on a recipient's behalf after age 55, from probate and certain non-probate assets. As of July 1, 2025, the state has 9 months after death to file a claim, and recovery does not proceed while a spouse survives or a child is under 21, blind, or disabled.

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