Peoria Nursing Home Wandering & Elopement Attorneys
Keeping Your Loved Ones Safe
The nursing home environment is meant to be a safe and secure place for elderly residents, but nursing home neglect can have serious consequences. When nursing home staff members do not properly monitor patients, they may wander into unsafe areas or even leave the facility. This can put the health and safety of patients at risk, and they may suffer serious injuries that could have been prevented. Injuries that occur in these situations can cause family members to feel helpless and unsure about whether nursing home negligence was to blame and what they can do to address ongoing safety issues.
At Nursing Home Injury Center, our team works to help families respond correctly to nursing home injuries. We can help identify the causes of an injury and determine whether neglect was to blame. We can also advise family members on what they can do to address their loved one’s needs and ensure that a person will be protected against harm in the future. In addition to making sure a negligent nursing home will be held accountable for neglect that led to an injury, we will work to ensure that safety issues are handled correctly so that they will not put other nursing home residents at risk.
Safety Concerns Related to Wandering and Elopement at Nursing Homes
Nursing home residents should be provided with proper supervision at all times, and the necessary level of supervision should be based on their needs and the potential issues that could pose a risk to their health and safety. Patients with conditions such as dementia or Alzheimer’s disease may need to be closely supervised to ensure that they do not do anything that could put themselves at risk of harm. A lack of supervision by nursing home staff may result in patients entering dangerous situations or areas where injuries are more likely to occur.
Wandering may occur when patients move throughout a nursing home and enter areas where they could potentially suffer harm. For example, an area of a facility that is under construction may be marked using caution tape or wooden barriers, or doors and hallways may be boarded up or closed off. If residents bypass warnings or barriers and enter these areas, they could be injured by construction equipment, falling items, or tripping hazards. Other unsafe areas may include kitchens or bathrooms that may have wet, slippery floors, which can increase the risks of fall injuries.
Elopement occurs when a resident leaves the grounds of a nursing home without supervision. These situations may take place if a facility does not have security doors or if staff members do not pay attention when patients attempt to exit the building. Residents may be placed at a high risk of harm when they are in public areas. They could experience fall injuries due to uneven sidewalks or pavement, or they may be struck by vehicles when attempting to cross the street. They could potentially even be at risk of being assaulted or robbed. Because additional time may be needed to find a patient who has left a nursing home, treatment for injuries may be delayed, which could result in dangerous or life-threatening complications.
Addressing Nursing Home Injuries Involving Wandering and Elopement
When nursing homes fail to provide residents with the care and supervision needed to protect their safety, they may enter dangerous situations where they are placed at risk of being seriously injured. If you believe that your loved one suffered harm due to nursing home neglect, Nursing Home Injury Center can help you determine how you can address this issue. We understand the complexities of these cases, and we are committed to helping families hold negligent nursing homes responsible for allowing injuries to occur. We also advocate for improved safety measures in nursing homes to ensure that all residents can live in a secure and healthy environment. To learn more about how we can assist you, contact us at 309-524-6900 and set up a free consultation today.
