Wandering behavior can be concerning enough to compel you to move your loved one to a nursing home. These facilities are equipped to handle whatever medical condition is contributing to the behavior in question. However, as a family member or friend, you may still be concerned about this behavior and contribute ideas to help control it.
Nursing homes should train staff members to manage wandering behaviors to ensure resident safety adequately. Dalli & Marino has helped countless families who have had negative experiences with nursing homes that have failed to properly manage wandering behaviors among residents.
What is Wandering Behavior?
Wandering behavior is typically exhibited among individuals dealing with dementia or other cognitive conditions. It is characterized by an individual roaming around and becoming disoriented or confused about their location. This kind of behavior is one of the reasons people choose nursing home environments for their loved ones. It is also the reason that secure nursing home environments are so important.
Tips on Managing Wandering Behavior in Nursing Homes
It is possible to effectively manage wandering behavior in nursing homes with just a little bit of extra time and attention. Tips for managing wandering behavior in nursing homes include:
- Secure outside entrances and exits: One of the best ways to effectively manage wandering behavior in nursing homes is to secure exits and entrances outside the facility. This ensures that no matter how much residents wander, they are safe within the confines of the nursing home.
- Use medical alert resources: For instance, a bracelet or other wearable tool is an excellent way to keep tabs on wandering residents without mitigating their independence.
- Initiate a buddy system: Nursing homes that want to ensure that residents don’t wander off might consider pairing residents with a tendency to wander with staff members or other residents who have their faculties about them when it is time to be social. This encourages social interaction among residents while also underscoring safety in moving about the facility.
Get Help from a New York Nursing Home Lawyer
If your loved one has suffered an adverse event while at a nursing home due to wandering behavior, you may have legal recourse. Dalli & Marino has worked with families to hold nursing homes accountable for safety failures or untrained staff who didn’t know how to manage this kind of behavior effectively.
We believe that when you entrust a nursing home with caring for your loved one, they should go above and beyond to be responsible in every way. Security failures that lead to harm when residents wander could mean that the facility did not properly prepare to care for residents with cognitive decline with the potential to wander.
In this instance, especially if your loved one was harmed while wandering, they may be entitled to compensation from the facility. We will work with you to determine how to best resolve the situation in a way that keeps your loved one safe.
Schedule a Consultation with an Experienced New York Nursing Home Lawyer
If you are concerned about the wandering behavior of a loved one in a New York nursing home, the time to act is now. The attorney at Dalli & Marino has extensive experience in nursing home issues and can help you resolve the matter before your loved one is harmed. Moreover, if the facility has not taken steps to address your loved one’s safety properly, it is essential not to wait until an adverse action has occurred.
Our attorneys are compassionate and will do what it takes to help you keep your loved one safe. Call (888) 465-8790 or contact us online today for a consultation and review of your case.
