Preventing nursing home elopement

Facilities use monitoring, equipment and response planning to keep its patients safe

By Healthcare Facilities Today


According to an article on the World News Report website, long-term care facilities are increasingly concerned about how to keep their seniors residents safe. Reports of abuse and neglect in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, group homes and other similar care centers for elderly or disabled people are in the news all too often.

Patient elopement occurred in 10 percent of lawsuits against nursing homes, according to the Briggs Corp.  Briggs defines elopement as "when a dependent resident in a licensed facility leaves that facility without staff observation or knowledge."

A person needing a residential care center is nearly always vulnerable in some way, the article said. He or she may have dementia, memory loss, confusion, a developmental disability, physical disability, poor health or frailty. Such a patient is vulnerable in the community to the elements, terrain, water, traffic, animals, violence, exploitation and abuse.

Ways a facility keep its patients safe from elopement include:

• Assessment

• Monitoring

• Equipment

• Response planning

• Reporting and prevention

Read the article.

 

 

 

 



October 18, 2013


Topic Area: Safety


Recent Posts

Cyberattack Results in Patient Reroutes at Anne Arundel Medical Center

A recent cyberattack on Luminis Health Care led to care disruptions and treatment cancelations at Maryland hospital.


Tangram Furnishes Be Well OC Irvine Behavioral Health Campus

Case study: Through a public-private partnership, Be Well OC’s 22-acre Irvine campus expands Orange County’s continuum of behavioral healthcare.


Suntree Internal Medicine Reports Data Breach

Suntree Internal Medicine has no evidence of misuse, or attempted misuse, of any potentially affected information.


Why Healthcare Facilities Management Is Critical to Patient Safety 

Hospitals and other healthcare facilities rely on much more than doctors and nurses to keep patients safe.


Sanford Health and North Memorial Health Finalize Partnership

An integration process is underway to create a unified organization.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

 
 
 
 

Healthcare Facilities Today membership includes free email newsletters from our facility-industry brands.

Facebook   Twitter   LinkedIn   Posts

Copyright © 2023 TradePress. All rights reserved.