WANDERING & ELOPEMENT

The legal term “elopement” is when a resident of an assisted living facility (nursing home) who is unable to care for him or herself is able to escape the facility. The more common term for this is “wandering” or “escaping.” In most cases of wandering or elopement, the individual was under inadequate supervision and care, leading to his or her escape. Serious injuries and even death can result in cases of elopement. Especially when the elderly individual requires daily medication or has Alzheimer’s, dementia or other memory problems.

At Healy Scanlon Law Firm in Chicago, we provide highly experienced and skilled nursing home neglect and abuse counsel to victims throughout the area. We offer free initial consultations to discuss your case. Call 312-226-4236.

While eloping or wandering, an individual who is under the care of a nursing home facility does not necessarily have to leave the facility to be harmed. He or she could have also wandered into an area of the facility, leading to serious injury.

Actions by the nursing home that commonly lead to wandering include:

• Failure to properly supervise residents
• Inadequate number of staff to safely watch residents
• Inadequate training to properly monitor residents
• Inadequate security or surveillance measures
• Failure to enact proper safety measures or procedures in the event of a wandering resident