A recent article by The Washington Post examined tragic but isolated incidents of residents who perished after wandering away from their assisted living communities. These are often referred to as “elopements.”
What the article did not say is just how rare these incidents are. According to the Post’s own data, which has not been independently reviewed or corroborated, 99.97% of assisted living communities have not had a wandering episode like those portrayed in the article.
Fatalities due to wandering represent a tiny fraction (0.0015%) of the 6.2 million assisted living residents served in the last five years.
Argentum, its members, and other organizations representing long-term care providers believe that even just one death is one too many and take seriously the safety risks of resident wandering. The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that 60% of people living with dementia will wander at least once; many do so repeatedly and without warning. Professionally managed communities have security procedures and protocols in place to keep residents safe.
These measures are effective in preventing similarly tragic events. Nothing is more important than resident safety, and professionally managed assisted living communities continually fine-tune policies and procedures and incorporate new technologies to keep residents safe. Argentum strongly supports state regulations already in place to investigate incidents and punish any wrongdoing.
Independent research firm J.D. Power has found that assisted living and memory care communities are overwhelmingly popular with residents and their families.[i] These communities offer choice and dignity in a safe and supportive environment, which is why surveys find that 99% of residents feel safe in their communities, and 91% say they feel safer than living on their own.
[i] J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Senior Living Satisfaction Study, November 15, 2023, https://www.jdpower.com/sites/default/files/file/2023-11/2023161%20U.S.%20Senior%20Living.pdf
