Elopement in Nursing Homes

When you first see the word “elopement,” you might initially envision a wedding. However, when you see the term used in conjunction with a nursing home, it may confuse you. This word used in this context refers to a resident intentionally wandering off from their assisted living facility.

Elopement in nursing homes is a particularly concerning issue, so keep reading where we’ll explain why it occurs and why it’s particularly dangerous when it does. We’ll also share which residents are most vulnerable to doing this so you can perhaps take preventative measures to ensure it doesn’t happen to someone close to you.

Residents Most Likely to Wander (and Why)

Individuals with memory disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease, are most likely to become confused and leave the facility where they reside to venture elsewhere. However, those with cognitive impairments, because they previously suffered traumatic brain injuries and people with mental health concerns, such as schizophrenia or multiple personality disorders, may also be prone to elopement in nursing homes.

Dangers of Elopement from Long-Term Care Facilities

The potential harm that your resident loved one may face if they wander from a nursing home is significant. It puts them in danger of:

• Walking outdoors in an inclement weather situation and freezing or overheating, resulting in hypothermia, a stroke, unconsciousness, etc.
• Falling victim to a crime
• Venturing into traffic along a busy highway, putting them at risk of being struck
• Traveling into an area of rugged terrain, i.e., a ledge or forest, far away from help, where premises may be dangerous and lead to them getting hurt

We’ve only mentioned a few examples of ways eloping can prove dangerous. The sky’s, unfortunately, the limit in terms of dangers this type of wandering poses.

Minimizing the Chances of Your Loved One Eloping from an Assisted Living Facility

The truth is that many nursing home residents try wandering off from the nursing homes where they live many times before they’re ultimately successful. So, whether you’re planning to place a loved one in a care facility like this or they’re already living there, it can be helpful to ask staff what safety measures they employ to ensure elopement in nursing homes like theirs doesn’t happen to your loved one.

Inquiring about these safety protocols will give you some insight into how to best protect your loved one. However, don’t let the presence of a surveillance camera system, security guard, or ample staff give you a false sense of security. They’re certainly not perfect all the time. Their failure to prevent elopement could qualify as a type of nursing home resident neglect.

If you aren’t comfortable with a nursing home’s safety protocol, consider looking into technology to help you better keep track of your loved one, whether your jurisdiction allows you to install in-room cameras, alert devices warning you if they venture beyond a certain point or at least that aids you in tracking their location, etc.