Nursing Home Elopement / Wandering Injuries

The Maguire Law Firm — Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Elopement, or the desire to find an exit that takes patients beyond their environmental limits, is a behavior that is often exhibited by Alzheimer and Dementia patients. A similar behavior called wandering occurs when a patient walks about aimlessly with no set destination in mind. Nursing home patients with these behaviors must be closely monitored and managed in a facility. The dangers to which the patients can be exposed can result in serious injury or death, and is the focus of over 10 percent of nursing home neglect lawsuits yearly.

Nursing home facilities are required by law to offer adequate security to protect their elderly patients and residents from injuries resulting from elopement or wandering. The Maguire Law Firm, serving the residents of Horry, Georgetown, and Marion counties in South Carolina is dedicated in their commitment to ensuring that facilities that have been negligent in closely guarding nursing home residents be held liable for their carelessness.

If someone you know has been injured after leaving a nursing home without supervision you may be eligible to receive compensation for the physical and emotional pain and suffering caused by the incident. In the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina area call 843-361-7549 or use our toll free number at (800) 525-9900. You can also contact us online.

Nursing Home Security

Facilities that care for patients with wandering and elopement issues must be diligent in ensuring that proper procedures for monitoring patients are in place. Proper supervision is one of the primary steps to take for the protection of all residents.

Many nursing homes equip at-risk patients with bracelets that will trigger an alarm if they approach the doors or exit the building. Other homes keep the patients in a locked corridor. If a patient does leave, there are often specific search procedures in place to locate the resident.

To ensure that your family member is properly protected from wandering or eloping from the nursing home facility, check for the following items in an elopement prevention plan:

• Residents who are at risk for elopement are identified and known to all staff members;
• Behavior logs are maintained on each shift;
• At-risk patients have adequate supervision and periodic checks as appropriate;
• Sufficient activities and programs are in place to minimize wandering tendencies;
• Identification bracelets and alarm triggers are worn by residents;
• Exit doors are securely locked and equipped with alarms.

While most facilities provide good care and a safe environment for our loved ones, serious injury can result if an elderly, ailing patient leaves the grounds of their safe haven.

Dedicated to the Preservation and Protection of Patients’ rights

At the Maguire Law Firm, putting a stop to the gross injustices committed against the elderly is a daily part of our practice. We feel very strongly about this issue and take an aggressive approach in pursuing justice and compensation for our clients.

The Maguire Law Firm can help you obtain fair compensation for the careless and negligent supervision given to your loved one. We represent victims and the families of nursing home abuse. We are dedicated to seeing that you get the justice you deserve. Our goal is maximize the monetary compensation that our client is legally entitled to receive. We have years of courtroom experience and are always prepared to represent you in court if necessary. We are devoted to providing representation with professionalism and integrity in all of our dealings with clients, adversaries and the courts of justice.

Contact Us

To reach us in the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina area call 843-361-7549 or use our toll free number at (800) 525-9900. You can also contact us online. We offer free initial consultations and flexible appointment scheduling for your convenience.