Elopement / Wandering
Elopement is one of the biggest nightmares a family or loved one can face. Nursing homes have a responsibility to prevent this from happening, and those that don’t are generally considered negligent.
What is Nursing Home Elopement?
In the case of nursing home negligence, elopement is when a resident of a home leaves a nursing home or senior care facility without permission. Symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are often a cause of elopement, and these patients should be monitored closely to prevent this from occurring. Elopement can have serious consequences because these patients are disoriented, confused, and unsure of what they are doing, leading to harmful situations.
Wandering vs. Elopement
Wandering is a little different than elopement, as it generally refers to a patient who is cognitively impaired and moving about inside the nursing home unsupervised, leading to a dangerous situation. Wandering can cause elderly individuals to become lost, disoriented, confused, or injured.
Nursing Home Liability
In cases of elopement or wandering, the nursing home is completely liable. Every nursing home must assess the elderly patient’s risk of wandering and include this in the initial plan of care. No elderly person should find themselves in a dangerous situation, and it is the nursing home’s job to ensure the safety of its residents.
Nursing Home Wandering and Elopement Attorneys
Our elopement and wandering attorneys are dedicated to helping protect the elderly and ensure they receive proper care in their nursing homes or senior care facilities. If your loved one has experienced elopement or wandering, our team of lawyers, medical experts, nurses, and paralegals can evaluate the situation to determine if neglect was at play and if you are due compensation.