Nursing home neglect might involve a failure to provide regular care. It can also involve the failure to track a resident’s condition as their medical support needs change.
As people age, their cognitive capabilities and physical condition may decline. Nursing home workers must adjust their practices to ensure that residents receive the support they need for their safety and health.
The failure to do so can lead to falls, illnesses and other negative outcomes, including elopement. Elopement is when a resident leaves the premises without supervision and without the knowledge of staff. If nursing home employees did not document a resident’s decline before an elopement occurred, the failure to track the change in their condition could constitute actionable neglect.
Elopement has an association with dementia
While many older adults resent living in a nursing home, many of them ultimately recognize that they rely on the services there for their well-being. However, those experiencing significant cognitive decline and those who develop dementia later in life may be unaware of their circumstances.
Unless nursing home staff track their decline and provide appropriate support, such as moving them to a locked ward for their safety, an older adult could potentially leave the nursing home and end up seriously injured as a result.
Elopement interrupts medical treatment regimens, exposes older adults to the outdoor elements and can lead to serious injuries. A facility can typically prevent elopement by identifying the early warning signs of dementia and taking appropriate action. Routinely assessing older adults is an important component of effective nursing home care.
When families can show that the facility ignored their concerns or failed to document concerning signs of cognitive decline, they may have grounds for a nursing home negligence lawsuit. Holding a facility accountable for nursing home negligence can help families get compensation for medical expenses triggered by an elopement incident and potentially prompt a better standard of care for other residents.