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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 Wisconsin's requirement. Wisconsin has no separate memory-care certification or disclosure form -- ask for the DHS program statement and the facility's most recent CBRF survey instead.
  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

Does Family Care or IRIS pay for room and board at an assisted living community?

Generally, no. CBRF and RCAC care services can be covered through Family Care or IRIS as home-and-community-based supports, but room and board is generally not covered by either program -- this should be verified per-placement, not assumed.

Is Wisconsin a Medicaid expansion state?

No. Wisconsin has not adopted the ACA's Medicaid expansion. Instead, it runs BadgerCare Plus, which covers childless adults up to 100% of the Federal Poverty Level rather than the ACA's 138% FPL expansion threshold, making Wisconsin a partial-expansion/non-expansion state.

How does someone in Milwaukee apply for Family Care or IRIS?

Contact your county's Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) to begin. The ADRC administers Wisconsin's Long-Term Care Functional Screen, which determines eligibility for both programs, and helps enroll members once financial and functional eligibility are confirmed.

Not sure where to start?

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