When a resident living with dementia becomes lost, confused or distressed, the board’s role is limited but real. Handling dementia in an HOA community means responding to safety concerns, speaking privately with the family, pointing them to local resources, and treating the resident with the same respect and the same rules as everyone else. The board is not a caregiver. It should not diagnose anyone, share anyone’s health information or try to push a resident out of the community.
Consider a situation that could arise in any neighborhood. A couple in your community has moved an aging parent into their home. One afternoon the parent leaves the house, becomes disoriented and walks the neighborhood trying to find the way back. The parent approaches some children playing outside and, confused and upset, frightens them without meaning to. That evening the children’s parents call the board and ask it to do something.
Boards will see this more often as residents age in place. The Alzheimer’s Association says that an estimated 7.4 million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s in 2026, and it reports that six in 10 people living with dementia will wander at least once. Alzheimers.gov, a federal site managed by the National Institute on Aging, lists wandering and getting lost in a familiar neighborhood among the signs of dementia, and notes that dementia is not a normal part of aging. The person in the scenario above is not misbehaving. They are living with a medical condition, and they are a member of your community.
When the Board May Need to Get Involved
An association exists to manage the common areas and apply its governing documents. It is not responsible for supervising any resident. Still, there are situations where a board that knows about a problem should not look away.
A Safety Risk to the Resident or Others
A person who is lost and disoriented can walk into traffic, a pool area or bad weather. If anyone is in immediate danger, call 911. Do not wait for a board meeting. If the family tells you a resident with dementia is missing, encourage them to call 911 right away and to tell responders that the person has dementia. The Alzheimer’s Association advises calling 911 if the person is not found within 15 minutes.
Where the risk is not urgent but keeps recurring, the board should act before something serious happens, using the steps below.
Loss or Damage to Property
Confusion can lead to property problems as well. A resident might try to enter the wrong home, pick up a neighbor’s mail or package by mistake, or leave water running in a building with shared walls. These are real concerns for the neighbors affected, and the association may need to address them. It should address them as conduct, the way it would for any resident, and with an understanding of the cause.
Unease Among Neighbors
Neighbors may feel worried or unsure. Many want to help and do not know how. Some feel responsible for a person’s safety when that responsibility is not theirs. Left alone, that unease can turn into gossip or into pressure on the board to “do something” about a person who has done nothing wrong. A calm, informed response from the board keeps the tone respectful.
Dementia in an HOA Community: Steps the Board Can Take
Every situation is different, and the board will need judgment and sensitivity. These steps are a reasonable order to work through.
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Keep a Factual Log
Record each report, each incident and each contact with the family, the same way you would document any incident reported to the association: the date, what was observed, who reported it and what the association did. Write down what happened, not what you think the diagnosis is. “Resident was found at the front gate at 10 p.m. without a coat and could not say where she lived” is useful. A medical opinion from a board member is not.
Treat the log as confidential. It shows the association acted reasonably if the matter is ever reviewed by an attorney, an insurer or a court. Our article on maintaining your HOA records covers how to store sensitive records.
Talk With the Family Privately
Your first contact should be with the resident’s family or household, and it should be private. Have one board member or the manager make the call, not the whole board. Describe what was observed and say that you are concerned for the resident’s safety. Then ask how the association can help.
Most families already know there is a problem and are doing their best under strain. Many will be relieved that the conversation was kind. Do not ask for a diagnosis or medical records. You do not need them, and the family does not owe them to you. Our article on resolving a problem informally has more on how to approach a hard conversation with an owner.
Offer Practical Help
There will be pressure from neighbors to act. Channel it into things that help:
- Ask the family for an emergency contact number the association can keep on file, and use it only for that purpose.
- With the family’s permission, let the manager, gate staff or patrol service know whom to call if the resident is seen alone and appears lost.
- Share the resources listed at the end of this article. Families new to caregiving often do not know these services exist.
- Fix what is yours to fix. Working lights, clear signs and unit numbers, and gates and pool enclosures that latch properly make the common areas safer for every resident.
Avoid improvised agreements or special conditions for the household, such as asking the family to sign a document accepting responsibility. If the board believes something in writing is needed, have the association’s attorney prepare or review it first.
Protect the Resident’s Privacy
Do not tell the community that a named resident has dementia, and do not discuss the household in an open meeting, a newsletter, an email blast or a social media group. A person’s health is private. Sharing it exposes the resident to stigma and the association to legal risk. If a neighbor asks, it is enough to say that the board is aware of the concern and is handling it.
What the board can do is educate everyone in general terms. A short newsletter item on how to help any neighbor who seems lost or confused will do more good than an announcement about one family. The Alzheimer’s Association’s communication tips are a good starting point: approach the person from the front and say who you are, speak slowly and clearly, be patient and reassuring, and do not argue. Stay with the person if it is safe, and call the family if you know them or 911 if the person may be in danger.
Know When to Call Adult Protective Services
Adult protective services (APS) is a social services program found in every state. The federal Administration for Community Living describes it as the principal public agency responsible for investigating reported cases of abuse of older and vulnerable adults, and APS programs also take reports of neglect, self-neglect and financial exploitation. APS screens reports, investigates when warranted and arranges protective services. In most states an adult who has capacity may decline those services.
A resident living with dementia in a caring household is not a reason to call APS. Consider a report if you believe a vulnerable adult is being neglected, abused or exploited, or is living alone, unable to manage and without anyone helping. According to the Administration for Community Living (ACL), most states will take a report even if the caller does not give a name, and the APS agency keeps the information confidential. Reporting requirements vary by state. ACL’s page on what to do if you suspect abuse, neglect or exploitation explains how to find the APS reporting number for your state.
Apply the Rules Evenly and Keep Fair Housing in Mind
If a rule is being broken, the association can address it, but it should deal with the conduct and not the diagnosis, and it should treat this household as it would any other. The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing because of disability, among other characteristics. Its protection covers people with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, so a board should treat a resident living with dementia as protected and ask its attorney before acting.
A joint statement from HUD and the Department of Justice on reasonable accommodations notes that courts have applied the Act to homeowners and condominium associations, among others. It describes a reasonable accommodation as a change, exception or adjustment to a rule, policy, practice or service that may be necessary for a person with a disability to have an equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling. It also says the Act does not allow people to be excluded based on fear, speculation or stereotype, and that any decision that a person poses a direct threat must rest on an individualized assessment based on reliable, objective evidence.
For a board, the practical lessons are these. Do not try to force a resident out or pressure a family to move the person to a facility. Take a request for an exception to a rule seriously. And talk to the association’s attorney before sending a violation notice, holding a hearing or imposing a fine in a situation that involves a resident’s cognitive condition. State and local fair housing laws may add further protections.
If Lawyers or Courts Become Involved
Legal proceedings in these situations are rare, but they happen. A neighbor may make a claim after an incident, or a family may object to how the association responded. Decisions about a person’s care or legal capacity, such as guardianship, belong to the family and the courts, not to the board. If a dispute is heading toward lawyers, involve the association’s attorney early and notify your insurance carrier if a claim is possible. This is when a careful log shows its value. Our article on how to minimize homeowners association liability covers the general principles.
Resources to Share With Families
- Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 Helpline, 800.272.3900. A free helpline, staffed around the clock, that offers information, local resources, crisis assistance and emotional support to people living with dementia, caregivers and the public.
- Your local Area Agency on Aging. According to the Administration for Community Living, an Area Agency on Aging is a public or private nonprofit agency designated by a state to address the needs of older people in a region. These agencies coordinate and offer services that help older adults remain in their homes, such as home-delivered meals and homemaker assistance. The local agency may go by a different name.
- Eldercare Locator, 1-800-677-1116. The Eldercare Locator is a public service of the federal Administration for Community Living. It connects callers with the Area Agency on Aging, the adult protective services agency and other services for older adults in their area.
- Adult protective services. For concerns about abuse, neglect, self-neglect or exploitation of a vulnerable adult.
- 911. For anyone who is missing or in immediate danger.
Aging and memory loss are hard subjects to raise with a neighbor, and harder still when other residents are frightened or upset. A board that responds with patience, protects the resident’s dignity and privacy, and knows where to send a family for help serves the whole community well. For more on daily life in a community association, see our section on living in an HOA.
Sources
Other sources: Alzheimer’s Association: 2026 Facts and Figures · Alzheimer’s Association: Wandering · Alzheimers.gov: What Is Dementia? · Alzheimer’s Association: Communication Tips · HUD: Fair Housing Act Overview · HUD and DOJ: Joint Statement on Reasonable Accommodations · Alzheimer’s Association: 24/7 Helpline · ACL: Area Agencies on Aging
This article is general educational information, not legal or medical advice. Laws vary by state and your association’s governing documents control many of these questions, so check with your association’s attorney or another qualified professional about your situation.