Baltimore Elopement & Wandering Injuries Attorney

For the most part, seniors are admitted to nursing home facilities when they are unable to engage in activities of daily living (ADLs) on their own, typically due to dementia symptoms from advanced degenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s. Because dementia causes memory loss and confusion, wandering unsupervised throughout the facility can be extremely dangerous for seniors. When seniors escape the nursing home and wander outside of the property’s limits, this is called elopement.

Regardless of how far seniors wander off, wandering can result in a number of extremely serious outcomes, including: 

• Pedestrian accidents
• Abuse and assault
• Slip and fall injuries
• Head wounds and brain injuries
• Drowning
• Extreme cold exposure
• Severe sunburn and heatstroke

Effective Strategies for Preventing Elopement in Nursing Homes

Although nursing homes could prevent most cases of wandering and elopement just by staffing to federally required levels and staying vigilant, there are lots of other ways that a nursing home should be trying to prevent this dangerous activity. From installing adequate security systems to informing staff about frequent wanderers, nursing homes need to be on the lookout for ways to protect seniors at all times. 

Some of the most common ways nursing homes can prevent elopement: 

• Implementing security systems in common areas, outdoor spaces, and walkways
• Installing appropriate exit alarms and locking systems
• Educating staff on the risk of elopement and wandering
• Allowing residents to enjoy supervised walks or enclosed outdoor spaces
• Using patient tracking devices when necessary for the resident’s safety
• Completing a resident “risk assessment” for wandering
• Providing front desk and security personnel with photos of frequent wanderers

Establishing Nursing Home Liability for Elopement Incidents

To be awarded damages, you must prove the nursing home was negligent in allowing your loved one to wander or elope. To file a claim against the nursing home facility, you must prove the following: 

• Duty of care: The nursing home or individual staff member owed a duty of care to your loved one. Nursing home facilities do owe a duty of care to their residents. 
• Duty of care was breached: This occurred when the nursing home staff member’s conduct failed to meet the applicable standard of care. This breach of duty allowed the resident to wander or elope from the facility. This includes any failure to meet the required standard of care.
• The failure to act resulted in harm: If your loved one was injured, it is possible to seek damages. 
• Your loved one suffered damages: You must prove the injuries are related to the wandering or elopement incident. 

Brown & Barron has taken on many similar cases and knows what it takes to settle these cases. If we cannot negotiate a fair settlement, we are prepared to represent you and your loved one in a trial. 

Damages You Could Recover in an Elopement and Wandering Injuries Claim

If your loved one was injured during the wandering or elopement incident, you could seek damages. The types of damages you could seek on behalf of your loved one in these cases include: 

Pain and Suffering

This includes the physical discomfort your loved one may endure from injuries they sustained during the incident. Any pain, anguish, or inconvenience they endure can be included.  

Emotional Distress from Nursing Home Negligence

This includes any mental suffering your loved one endured because of the incident. Conditions associated with mental distress include anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder. 

Medical Treatment After Elopement

If the injuries your loved one sustained require any type of medical attention, those losses could be recovered. This includes any ambulance rides, emergency room bills, hospital stays, doctor’s visits, medications, or any rehabilitative care, such as occupational or physical therapy. 

Our attorneys can calculate the value of your damages to determine how much your case could be worth. 

Schedule Your Free Case Review with a Baltimore Elopement Lawyer today to schedule a free case review with an elopement and wandering lawyer serving Baltimore.