Wandering off in Nursing Homes
Summary:
This article discusses the dangers of wandering off while under someone else's care in a nursing home. Sometimes this happens because the staff is understaffed or even overstaffed causing chaos among the Nursing home residents. This leaves staff members and physicians neglecting patients' needs. Residents who have Alzheimer's disease and dementia are more likely to wander off than other residents who have an illness. It is important to prevent wandering off as; the Arizona Heat reaches high degrees and can cause fatality among other medical and serious conditions.
Wandering off in Nursing Homes
There is great danger when patients wander off while under Nursing Home care. Residents in nursing homes can cause damage not only to themselves but also to others around them if they were to wander off. Nursing homes often resemble comfortable homes where residents can move around freely, however due to negligence from a staff member, a resident can wander off of the premises and into traffic, into other homes, or even become lost. In the news, there have been numerous accounts in the media on this issue, as elderly individuals are often found dead after they have wandered off. Although wandering off or elopement is not a high static in nursing home negligence, it does happen and can lead to a number of dangerous situations for your loved one. This is a high occurrence with patients who may have or exhibit symptoms of diseases like Alzheimer's disease and Dementia or any disease that affects memory.
Dangers that can occur due to wandering off:
- Sexual Abuse by a Stranger
- Hit by a car in traffic
- Malnutrition
- Dehydration
- Heat Stroke in the Arizona Summer Heat
- Falls
- Broken Bones
- Cardiac Arrest
- Medication related injuries
- Kidnapping
- Fatality
If any of the above has happened to someone you know or someone within your family after wandering off because of negligence from staff members, you may be entitled to collecting damages. Contact an Arizona Nursing Home Lawyer in the Phoenix, Scottsdale and Maricopa County area, as they may assist you in obtaining information related to your particular case against Nursing home negligence and abuse - no form is acceptable, even if the home is understaffed that day.
Heat Stroke and Wandering off/Elopement
In Arizona one of the greatest risks a resident can face while wandering off is suffering heat stroke in the Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa and Maricopa County Area. There is hardly any rain through the year and during the summer months; temperatures soar to nearly 113+ degrees. Since residents who tend to wander off suffer from some sort of disease affecting the memory, the heat can be a death trap as they may not know where or when to get water to hydrate themselves. Not only does the resident face a possibility to suffer from dehydration but also heat stroke, which could result in death or a decreased quality of life in the individual.
Alzheimer's and Dementia patients need to be watched more than any other individuals in nursing home. Just because their memory may not be 100 percent does not give the right to staff members or nursing home physicians to put your mother, father, grandparent or aunt at risk of wandering off and dying.
Contact an Arizona Nursing Home Advocate Attorney
Water deprivation, Heatstroke, and dehydration and numerous results can occur due to wandering off. This is abuse and neglect of the elderly individual. An Arizona Attorney can help you seek justice for the emotional and physical damages your family member may incur because of wandering off. For more information see www.nursinghomeadvocates.com.
