An 89-year-old woman was found dead after she went missing from an assisted living and memory care facility in Georgia. The resident was last seen by an employee at 11 p.m. on Friday, November 8. The facility reported her missing at 9:30 a.m. the next morning.
Police stated there were no cameras at the facility and no physical evidence indicating she had left, apart from her absence. They conducted several searches over the weekend, combing the facility, surrounding neighborhoods, nearby woods, and bodies of water. The missing resident, who was hearing impaired and without her eyeglasses, may have been disoriented.
The woman, who had recently moved to the facility and had been exhibiting signs of confusion, was found floating in a pond at a park about half a mile from the facility on Monday, November 11. Her body was discovered by park visitors.
Police believe she likely wandered away from the facility, but the investigation into her disappearance continues.
Compliance Perspective
Issue
Facilities must identify and assess residents’ risk of leaving without staff notification and develop interventions to mitigate this risk. Facilities should implement clear policies and procedures for assessing, monitoring, and managing residents at risk of elopement. This can help minimize the risk of a resident leaving a safe area without the facility’s awareness and/or appropriate supervision. Early assessment is key. Residents should be assessed upon admission and at least quarterly thereafter. Additional risk assessments should be conducted following any change in a resident’s condition. At-risk residents should have specific interventions included in their comprehensive care plans to address elopement risks. Staff must document the implementation of these policies. Additionally, the facility’s disaster and emergency preparedness plan should include protocols for locating a missing resident.
Discussion Points
- Review policies and procedures related to preventing resident elopement. This should include protocols for identifying residents at risk, ensuring adequate monitoring, staffing levels, and security measures to prevent wandering. Consider adding or updating policies for surveillance systems if necessary.
- Train staff on the importance of monitoring residents, particularly those with cognitive or physical impairments. Conduct regular elopement drills to ensure that all staff, across shifts, know how to respond in case of a missing resident.
- Periodically audit to confirm that residents’ elopement risk assessments are conducted upon admission and updated quarterly or as needed. Ensure staff are following through on assigned checks and documenting their observations. Use audits to monitor compliance with care plans and identify areas for improvement in resident monitoring.
*This news alert has been prepared by Med-Net Concepts, Inc. for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal advice.*
