Understanding the Legal Rights of Nursing Home Residents with Wandering Tendencies
Residents in nursing homes need to be supervised by staff to ensure that they are safe. There are many dangers in the nursing home or any other environment for an individual who has no idea what he is doing. Wandering is among the more common and dangerous problems that nursing home staff face, and they must have an adequate plan in place. If your loved one resides in a nursing facility and has suffered an injury or illness due to neglect, you need to hire a St. Petersburg nursing home abuse law firm right away.
A St. Petersburg Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer on Wandering and Its Causes
We have all seen stories of nursing home residents who wander away from facilities and become injured. Wandering is often due to a diminished cognitive function on the part of the resident, though not always. In all instances, though, wandering involves leaving a safe area. Your St. Petersburg nursing home abuse law firm will tell you that wandering generally occurs when residents first arrive. Depending upon how the resident responds to the environment, he may become disoriented because the surroundings are different and wander around to find a place where he feels safe.
Wandering is categorized into a number of different general purposes.
Environmental Cues
These are stimuli that a resident responds to in the home or outside. They patient may, for instance, see a bench he wishes to sit on outside and try to find his way out the door into the garden.
Agitation
Sometimes a resident becomes agitated or upset and purposefully wander. This type of wanderer can be difficult to manage, for he often begins to act aggressively toward staff or others.
Recreation
Sometimes residents may want simply to exercise or walk. This type of wandering is generally more manageable than agitation, and the patient can simply be given time to exercise and explore his surroundings.
Reminiscing
Nursing home residents often live more in the past than the present. The patient wanders, thinking he is in an imagined environment. Often this is a place from the past where the elderly person felt particularly happy.
Elopement
Your St. Petersburg nursing home abuse law firm will tell you that elopement is among the most dangerous acts on the part of the resident when wandering. Elopement entails an attempt to leave the facility. The resident may have a real or imagined reason for doing so, but, if he manages to leave the premises, many dangers await such as being hit by a car while wandering down the street.
A St. Petersburg Nursing Home Abuse Law Firm on How to Prevent Wandering
A nursing home facility must always find a workable balance between safety for a resident and freedom. Unfortunately, many facilities are understaffed and/or do not adequately train their workers on how to supervise residents. In order to prevent residents from wandering or eloping, the following steps should be taken:
• Assess the needs and tendencies of each resident individually.
• Train staff on how to manage wandering residents.
• Make sure residents are accounted for/supervised at all times.
• Provide residents who are able sufficient exercise time.
Work with a St. Petersburg Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer if Your Loved One Is Injured
If your loved one suffers an injury because staff at the nursing facility was negligent, a St. Petersburg nursing home abuse law firm can help. Call Peter Giroux today at (727) 895-5399.