Elopement And Wandering

Some of the most serious incidences of nursing home neglect involve lack of attention and security, which allows residents to wander the halls aimlessly or even elope outdoors and off the facility premises.

Wandering is a risk that every nursing home must recognize and plan carefully to prevent. Exit doors should be alarmed to prevent and notify staff when residents leave the facility unsupervised. Nursing home staff should be properly trained on how to respond to alarms and notice wandering residents.

Failure to prevent elopement and wandering puts residents at advanced risk for falls, infections, exposure to harsh weather and other significant dangers.

Factors that increase the risk of wandering among nursing home residents include dementia or residents with unmet physical or psychosocial needs, such as assistance going to the bathroom. Additional factors that increase wandering include

• Unfamiliar environment
• Recent medication change
• Changes in schedule or routine
• An expressed desire to "go home"

At Nitsche & Fredricks LLC, our attorneys are dedicated to putting an end to nursing home abuse, as well as securing a maximum recovery for any nursing home resident who was allowed to wander or elope. Our Delaware elopement and wandering attorneys are well-versed in both medicine and law, which allows them to argue a wandering or elopement case effectively.

We work tirelessly with our clients to build the strongest case possible. We collaborate with seasoned experts, conduct in-depth investigations and use diagnostic tests in order to fully understand the evidence.

You can have your questions answered by an experienced nursing home neglect lawyer during a free, no-obligation consultation. Call 302-655-4040 or use our contact form to schedule an appointment.