Uniondale Nursing Home Elopement Lawyer

Elopement in a nursing home setting refers to an elderly person who leaves the facility unnoticed by the nursing home staff. Oftentimes, the nursing home resident has Alzheimer's disease, dementia, or another cognitive impairment that makes the incident particularly dangerous. Nursing homes should be safe places for your loved ones to live, but if elopement happens, it could be an indication of nursing home neglect.

A Uniondale nursing home elopement lawyer could evaluate your case of elopement and help determine if the nursing home could be held accountable for any harm or injury that occurred to the resident. The skilled attorneys at Duffy & Duffy have extensive experience with nursing home negligence and have helped many families pursue justice through a civil lawsuit.

Factors and Triggers Contributing to Elopement in Nursing Homes

The following things could contribute to incidents of elopement in a nursing home setting:

• Memory loss, usually associated with dementia or Alzheimer's disease
• Sudden changes in routine or environment
• Anxiety, particularly when a resident desires to be in a familiar setting
• Loneliness and other emotional triggers
• Inadequate monitoring of residents by nursing home staff
• Understaffing the nursing home
• Poorly trained nursing home staff

A lawyer in Uniondale could further explain the various factors contributing to elopement and how a nursing home is supposed to address the problem.

The Dangers of Elopement

Elopement is not a simple case of wandering away and getting lost. It is potentially deadly. Nursing home residents who are severely disoriented and leave the nursing home setting undetected may find themselves in very dangerous situations. They could wander into a busy street, construction zone, or unsafe neighborhood. They could walk into inclement weather without proper protection. They could fall and injure themselves. If they are away from safety for a long time, they could become dehydrated or worsen any pre-existing health conditions they have. Even if they are found and taken back to the nursing home, the experience may leave them with emotional distress that they did not have before.

An attorney in Uniondale fully understands the extreme dangers of nursing home elopement and will do whatever they can to bring justice to the situation.

Building a Case for Negligence After Nursing Home Elopement

A lawyer handling a Uniondale nursing home elopement suit could build a case for negligence by gathering evidence, such as medical records, nursing home reports, surveillance videos, and witness statements. Showing that the nursing home did not adequately monitor the nursing home residents or did not take measures to prevent elopement could help strengthen the case by showing how the facility breached its duty of care toward its residents.

The lawyer could also total all the damages incurred due to the nursing home's negligence. Damages may include medical expenses if the resident was injured or harmed, additional medical care needed following the incident, pain and suffering, and emotional distress. Families of the injured nursing home resident could pursue full compensation for all damages. It will not change the fact that the negligence happened, but it could provide financial stability and bring about real change within the nursing home.

Talk to a Uniondale Nursing Home Elopement Attorney

An incident of elopement could take a physical and psychological strain on the nursing home resident and the family of the resident. Elopement could even result in tragedy. If this has happened to you, do not hesitate to reach out to a Uniondale nursing home elopement lawyer at Duffy & Duffy.

We are here for you. Contact us to schedule your free case evaluation and consultation.