Not everyone diagnosed with Alzheimer's dementia
needs to be in a "locked unit." The only time I recommend
such a situation is if there is genuine concern about
wandering. This means that your mom has a tendency to get
up and go without any thought to where she is going and may be
unable to find her way back home. I find that
most people
with
mild
Alzheimer's dementia do very well in an assisted living/adult
home with the general population. In fact, I usually see that
the stimulation
and socialization helps to keep them more alert and less confused.
That is not to say that there aren't cases when wandering
is not the issue and a "locked unit" might be the best
solution; each person and case
is should be examined on an individual basis.