Elopement

Denver Nursing Home Neglect Lawyers for Cases of Elopement

Elopement presents serious risks for many nursing home residents. For those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, and for those who need the assistance that a quality nursing home can provide, wandering off without supervision can lead to dire consequences, including many from which residents will never fully recover.

Factors that Can Lead to Elopement

There are a number of factors that can lead an elderly nursing home resident to elope. The most common factor is dementia. Residents who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia, Parkinson’s disease and other forms of dementia are among those most likely to elope, as the effects of their diseases can make them susceptible to wandering off. Residents with dementia can forget that they live in a nursing home, they can experience extreme confusion that leads them to walk aimlessly, or they may believe that they need to go to work or run errands from an earlier station in life.

Other factors that can lead to elopement include neglect and abuse. When nursing home residents do not receive the care they need, or when they experience abuse, they may feel that they have little choice but to try to escape their current living environment. Inadequate access to medications and nutrition, physical and sexual abuse, and abandonment are all common precursors to elopement.

Nursing Home Liability for Elderly Residents’ Elopement

Whatever the case may be, nursing homes have a responsibility to protect their residents against elopement. They must have appropriate safeguards in place – including adequate staffing and monitoring of building exits – and they must recognize when residents with dementia or other medical conditions are at high risk for elopement. When nursing home staff and administrators realize that a resident has eloped they must undertake prompt and effective efforts to bring the resident to safety as quickly as possible.

When a nursing home is responsible for a resident’s elopement, the resident (or the resident’s loved ones) can seek financial compensation for medical bills and other losses sustained as a result of:

• Hypothermia
• Injuries from slips, trips and falls
• Injuries from pedestrian accidents
• Lack of medication
• Malnutrition and dehydration
• Emotional trauma
• Other serious illnesses, injuries and complications from elopement

Experienced Legal Representation for Denver Nursing Home Residents and Their Families

At Levine Law, we have decades of experience representing nursing home residents and their families in the Denver area. We understand the severe consequences of elopement, and we know just how important it is for elderly residents and their loved ones to assert their legal rights. We are passionate about holding negligent and abusive nursing homes accountable for their wrongdoing, and we want to help you if you have suffered harm or lost a loved one due to nursing home elopement. Your initial meeting is free and there are no fees unless we win your case, so contact us for a no-risk consultation today.

Speak With a Nursing Home Negligence Lawyer in Denver, CO

If you would like more information about your legal rights following nursing home elopement, we encourage you to get in touch. To schedule a free, no-obligation consultation, please call (303) 333-8000 or send us your information online today.