Elder Law

Dementia Patient Wanders Out of Nursing Home

By Levin & Perconti

A resident who suffered from dementia wandered out of a nursing home and was found more than two hours later, roaming in the snow and ice and subfreezing weather. The 68-year-old woman was rescued by members of the sheriff?s department. She uses a walker get around and was found behind the nursing home wearing just a golf shirt, pants and shoes. After being found wandering the victim was treated for exposure to the cold. The victim had to climb down three flights of stairs with his walker to escape the building. The victim is the second resident to wander away from the nursing home since it opened in October. The nursing home needs to address how a patient using a walker could have escaped so easily. Also all nursing homes need to ensure that wandering does not occur at their facilities. To read more about the wandering patient, please click the link.

Full post as published by Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog on December 30, 2009 (boomark / email).