Disability and Negligence Blog

Nursing Home Patient Wanders Away from the Home and Dies

I just read an article about a nursing home patient in New York who wandered out of the home unnoticed.  Two days later she was found in the woods - dead.  You may think this is unusual but I can tell you that is not the case.  I have handled this type of case in Maryland.  In my experience, the problem results from a failure of the facility to have enough staff on duty to properly care for the residents.  Patients who suffer from dementia or Alzheimer's frequently wander.  If a facility accepts these patients then there must be enough staff to watch them as well as other safeguards, such as alarms, to alert the staff if a patient leaves the unit or walks out the front door.  For more information about Nursing Home Neglect, visit my website, www.SharonChristieLaw.com.