Nursing homes have wandering residents. Approximately 60% of individuals with dementia are prone to wandering. It’s due to various factors including agitation or a desire to return home. Wandering is a common behavior in those with cognitive impairments such as dementia or Alzheimer’s. It occurs when there is an unmet need like hunger or thirst or simply seeking out human contact.
Nursing Home Strategies for Wandering Residents
There are several strategies that Nursing Homes employ to deal with wandering residents:
Risk Assessment of Wandering Residents
Nursing homes can assess a resident’s risk of wandering and create a care plan to minimize the risk. They do this by identifying hazards; determining who might be harmed and how; evaluating the risks and deciding on precautions; recording their findings and implementing them; and reviewing and updating their risk assessments regularly.
Using technology
Nursing homes can enhance safety with technology that monitors residents. Tag alarms that are worn on the resident’s body emit noise if a resident exits a secure area. Additionally, alarms on doors, windows, and stairwells prompt staff intervention. Real-time location systems track residents’ whereabouts, while wander management systems alert staff when residents wander.
Using physical interventions
Nursing homes employ various physical interventions to engage residents mentally and physically. These include exercise groups to promote activity, repetitive tasks such as folding towels, and sensory stimulation activities like massages and aromatherapy which help in multi-sensory engagement.
Using environmental modifications
Nursing homes can enhance resident safety through several environmental modifications. Enclosed outdoor areas offer safe, protected spaces for residents to enjoy the outdoors, while tape on the floor provides clear visual guides in front of exits or restricted zones. Additionally, camouflaging exits help prevent confusion or unauthorized departures.
Training staff
Nursing homes are obligated to frequently check on residents, especially in high-risk areas like cafeterias or courtyards. If a resident goes missing, the facility typically locks down and searches both inside and immediate outside areas. If unsuccessful, they promptly notify authorities and the family. Additionally, if a resident suffers injury or dies from wandering, the facility could be deemed negligent. Families need to be aware of the facility’s elopement action plan and investigate any potential cover-ups, which may indicate neglect or abuse.
Elopement, on the other hand, refers to a resident leaving the premises. It occurs when a resident leaves a safe environment unsupervised, leading to situations often described as critical wandering. This term is used when a resident’s location is unknown, placing their safety in jeopardy. Eloping from care facilities is a significant safety hazard. It often leads to injuries, malnutrition, dehydration, or even death in residents. If not found within 24 hours, the risks of injury and death rise substantially.
Wandering Residents Risk Injury. Talk to an Attorney Today.
It’s heartbreaking when a nursing home fails to safeguard our elderly loved ones, leading to wandering or elopement. Such lapses in care can result in real harm if they leave the premises. If a nursing home’s negligence and inadequate security led to your loved one’s injury, you might have a case to claim compensation for their injuries and your family’s distress. Call Jordan Law Center for your free consultation today.
