Nursing homes help ensure the health and safety of older adults. Unfortunately, some people living in nursing homes try to leave, often without advising anyone of their intentions.
Nursing homes generally need to monitor residents for warning signs of elopement and take steps to prevent residents from leaving without assistance. What makes elopement prevention so important?
1. Access to medication
Many older adults have multiple prescription medications that they require for optimal health. If they leave the facility without the support of staff members, they could miss doses, which could cause medical issues or undermine the efficacy of their treatment.
2. Exposure to the elements
Being outside overnight or during times of inclement weather can be dangerous even for healthy adults in the prime of life. For older adults, extended exposure to the elements could cause devastating medical challenges. The longer they are outside and the worse the weather is, the greater their chances of falling ill.
3. Traumatic injuries
Older adults are often at risk of falling, especially when they are on uneven ground. Those leaving a nursing home could fall and get hurt in locations where there are no other people nearby. They could also wander into traffic, which could have tragic consequences.
Nursing home workers generally need to monitor older adults for signs of cognitive decline and ensure the security of residents who might make unsafe decisions, such as choosing to leave without notifying anyone. If nursing homes do not take appropriate steps to prevent elopement incidents, family members may have grounds to take legal action.
Filing a nursing home negligence lawsuit is a reasonable response to an elopement incident that could have been prevented with better care standards or adequate staffing at a nursing home.
