ELOPEMENT
Nursing home residents can suffer serious injury or death when they wander away from a nursing home or assisted living facility on their own. Common injuries associated with wandering or elopement include fractures from falls or death from heat stroke or hypothermia.
Federal nursing home regulations require that every resident have an assessment done when they enter the facility and that the assessment be updated on a regular basis or with changes in their medical condition. This written report must include a plan of care which describes the capacity of the resident and an assessment of the resident’s ability to function independently. Based on this written assessment, nursing homes must have and follow proper procedures to supervise the resident.
Nursing homes must also determine the level of supervision needed by the resident. The nursing home should implement a plan to prevent elopement, including:
- Develop a general plan and individualized safe elopement or wandering program.
- Develop a proper plan of care for each resident.
- Place residents identified as an “elopement risk” to rooms and areas that allow for observation by staff.
- Use alarms or electronic devices on residents, beds, or exit doors.
- Monitor exit doors at all times, especially during facility emergencies or shift changes.
Burke, Harvey & Frankowski’s lawyers investigate and evaluate potential claims for nursing home neglect and abuse across the Southeastern US, including Alabama (Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery and Mobile), Florida (Jacksonville, Orlando, Pensacola, Tallahassee and Tampa), Georgia (Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus and Savannah), Mississippi (Biloxi, Gulfport, Hattiesburg and Jackson), Tennessee (Chattanooga, Memphis and Nashville) and Texas (Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio areas). We prosecute nursing home elopement lawsuits to obtain money damages for the victims and prevent others nursing home residents from being harmed.
Burke, Harvey & Frankowski’s lawyers have experience handling complex nursing home injury claims. If a friend or loved one has suffered an injury as a result of improper nursing home supervision, monitoring or care and have suffered a serious injury or death after wandering away from the nursing home facility, then contact us for a free claim evaluation. We can investigate your nursing home case and determine if your loved one and family may be entitled to money damages.
