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Elder Abuse & Nursing Home Neglect
Nursing Home Elopement & Wandering
Many elderly nursing home residents commonly suffer from Alzheimers, dementia and periodic confusion or forgetfulness. Those residents afflicted with such conditions often become disoriented and, as a result, are at a high risk of wandering from supervising nurses or eloping or departing the nursing home.
Philadelphia / Pennsylvania and New Jersey nursing homes are responsible for making sure any nursing home residents at risk of wandering or eloping are closely supervised. If they are not and they wander and/or elope from the facility and injured, nursing home neglect has occurred and the nursing home is fully responsible for any injuries that occur.
In addition to supervising impaired residents, nursing home care providers have the responsibility to continuously evaluate, assess, and monitor nursing home residents at risk of wandering or eloping. When a resident exhibits a lack of appreciation for his or her surroundings and safety the monitoring and supervision of that individual must be increased. If it is not and an injury occurs, it is typically a result of nursing home neglect.
Understanding Nursing Home Elopement & Wandering
Wandering and elopement are the terms used to describe the movement of cognitively-impaired nursing home residents within and outside a nursing home facility.
Wandering occurs when a cognitively-limited nursing home resident is allowed to move about the nursing home without a purpose and without an appreciation for his or her own personal safety. When a nursing home resident with such impairment is allowed to wander about the facility without proper supervision, incidents and accidents often occur.
There are any number of places within a Philadelphia / PA or NJ nursing home that disoriented residents can wander and cause themselves harm. Some common locations include kitchens, bathrooms, stairwells, roofs, walk-in refrigerators, and supply closets. In such instances, if an injury occurs it is most likely due to insufficient supervision of the injured individual.
Elopement occurs when a cognitively-impaired nursing home resident, who is not capable of understanding safety issues, exits a nursing home unsupervised. Eloping nursing home residents often find themselves in very harmful and dangerous situations.
Eloping nursing home residents often suffer a range of injuries from fractures, sprains and strains to head injuries, severe frostbite, malnutrition, dehydration and death. Like wandering, the common cause of elopement at Philadelphia / Pennsylvania and New Jersey nursing homes is a failure by staff to sufficiently supervise and monitor the residents.
Understaffing and Nursing Home Elopement & Wandering
An understaffed Philadelphia / PA or NJ nursing home is far more likely to have incidents of wandering and elopement then adequately staffed facilities. Often, in order to keep nursing home costs down and profits up, Philadelphia / PA and NJ nursing home owners intentionally and significantly cut nursing staff levels. This compromises the quality of care provided and jeopardizes the well-being of the residents. Under such circumstances, it is significantly easier for a confused or disoriented nursing home resident to wander or elope from a nursing home.
You Need a Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Attorney
An experienced nursing home abuse and neglect attorney such as Brian P. Murphy will be fully familiar with how to assert your loved one’s rights should he or she be suffer injuries as a result of wandering, elopement or another type of nursing home neglect. If you believe you may have a nursing home neglect case contact Brian P. Murphy straight away.
You should know legal actions in Philadelphia / Pennsylvania and New Jersey for nursing home neglect and abuse have strict deadlines. Therefore it is in your loved one’s best interest to contact nursing home abuse attorney Brian P. Murphy today. Mr. Murphy has devoted his practice to representing elderly individuals who have been subjected to nursing home abuse and/or neglect. Contact him today for a one-on-one consultation.
Nursing Home Abuse Attorney, Brian P. Murphy is licensed to practice law in in Philadelphia / Pennsylvania and New Jersey. All nursing home abuse and neglect cases are handle on a contingency fee basis.
Read the testimonial page and learn about Mr. Murphy’s former clients’ experiences with him.
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