Illinois Officials Begin Examination of Nursing Home Procedures Following Elopement Of Alzheimer's Patient
The Chicago area has been struck by a snap of arctic weather lately. It’s the kind of weather that quickly brings a chill to every part of your body regardless of how quickly you can do what needs to be done and get back to a warm area.
When I read news clippings about a downstate nursing home patient who wandered from a facility into these cruel temperatures, I couldn't help but cringe as I knew more bad news would follow.
Sadly, I was correct.
The body of the 75-year-old nursing home patient, identified as Aubrey Giles, was found in a creek located just a block away from Midwest Rehabilitation and Respiratory Care in Belleville, IL. The elements were simply too much for that man to bear, and a medical examiner has ruled Mr. Giles died from exposure-related hypothermia.
In response to this unfortunate incident, officials from the Illinois Department of Heath have descended upon the Southern Illinois Nursing Home to begin an investigation into matter. Much of the investigation will focus upon Mr. Giles' care plan created by the facility to best serve the his needs.
Because many Alzheimer’s and dementia patients are considered to be elopement risks, I presume the state’s investigation will closely review what type of safeguards were ordered under the care plan for this patient vs. the safeguards (such as door alarms, wanderguards and gps tracking bracelets) that were actually in place at the time Mr. Giles wandered from the facility. In addition to safeguards, I would anticipate most of the staff on duty at the time of Mr. Giles incident would be questioned about their knowledge of his past behavior in addition to the circumstances of the day in question.
While wandering safeguards will indeed be reviewed, according to news reports surrounding this incident, the timeliness of the facilities notification of officials following the known departure of Mr. Giles’ departure from the facility appears to be within the boundries of the law. Amazingly, while officials from Midwest Rehabilitation discovered Mr. Giles missing at three in the afternoon--- it was not until 7:30 that evening that the facility notified Department of Health officials. Yet, this scheduling is completely legal.
Moreover, despite the fact that nursing home workers knew their patient with diminished capacities went into the frigid elements, no local police departments were contacted to help in the search for this missing patient-- again completely legal under the present laws.
Situations such as this shout the need for state lawmakers to begin to reevaluate the nursing home laws applicable to the tens of thousands vulnerable patients in Illinois whom are completely reliant on facilities for every part of their subsistence. I find that fact that a nursing home can use their own methods to locate a missing patient for 23-hours after they go missing downright shocking. If a similar incident were to occur with a child leaving his home, I have little doubt the the public outcry over such an incident would be deafening.
Related Nursing Homes Abuse Blog Entries:
State Fines Nursing Home Where Patients Drowns In Puddle In Front Of Facility
Lack Of Door Alarms Allows Assisted Living Patient To Wander To Her Death
One of the most basic safeguards a nursing home can implement to protect its patients --- regardless of the patients overall condition--- is to have staff available to supervise and periodically check on patients while they are actively engaged in activities as well as when they are resting.
Wandering in a potentially deadly problem for nursing home patients with dementia and other medical conditions that make them unable to appreciate the dangers around them. 
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Depsite the assurances of safety, Merle Fall fell from a second story window on March 6, 2010-- just weeks after her previous attempt to get out of the window. Ms. Fall sustained mutiple injuries including: a compound fracture of the left ankle and a subdural hematoma. On March 9, 2010, Ms. Fall died from her injuries at a nearby hospital.
I think its downright scary when facilities fail to learn from their mistakes. Of course, --- any person, --- any facility can make a mistake one time, but when the same errors are repeatedly made I feel there is well deserved cause for concern.
I'll never get accustomed to the fact that many elderly will suffer an injury or die due to the carelessness of people who are intended to care for them. It seems that every few weeks we hear about an elderly person who mysteriously goes missing from a facility and wanders to his or her death. Despite the frequency, it still outrages me when I hear about such completely preventable situations..png)
Is it fair to expect an assisted living facility-- loosely regulated entities that help residents with daily living activities to care for a person with Alzheimer's? .png)
Why in the world would I suggest the the people who are responsible for the care of our most vulnerable take a lesson from those responsible for most violent? The answer has to do with how nursing homes keep track of their residents. .png)
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