• E-mail
• Print
• RSS

Use unique interventions to reduce the risk of elopement

PPS Alert for Long-Term Care, August 1, 2010

This is an excerpt from a member only article. To read the article in its entirety, please login or subscribe to PPS Alert for Long-Term Care.

Keeping residents safe is a top priority for SNFs, one that requires individualized interventions and innovative approaches, especially for residents with dementia.

“When someone has dementia, their safety awareness is inhibited and they may do things that put their physical well-being at risk,” says Kelly Smith Papa, RN, MSN, director of education and consulting at the Alzheimer’s Resource Center of Connecticut in Plantsville. “Wandering and elopement are huge safety issues for residents with dementia.”

To reduce the risk of wandering and elopement, facilities should assess the issue for each resident and implement appropriate interventions. Unfortunately, not all facilities have mastered this individualized approach to keeping residents with dementia safe.

This is an excerpt from a member only article. To read the article in its entirety, please login or subscribe to PPS Alert for Long-Term Care.

• E-mail to a Colleague
• Print
• RSS
• Archive