elopement

[aorner]

I am the DON of a 58 bed hospital based skilled nursing facility. we resently acquired a lady who is from the area and wants to go home. she is VERY ambulatory and has eloped several times.

we have security braclets on her (2) and she still manages to get through the doors.. reorientation is not an option, it is a temp. fix for her. HELP!!! I need some ideas...

[kbolles]

I once worked at a facility that had a keypad beside the doors w/ a code like 234* for example that you had to press before the door would open it really did help a lot!

[allevi]

We too also have keypads, on the alzheimer unit it is not posted by the door like out by the exits on the main areas. But recently have had some residents that appear to be able to still get out by randomly pushing and they apparently get it right.

[night owl]

on our old alzheimers's unit the access button to open the front doors was behind the nurses station desk and the ns was enclosed so no resident could get behind the desk, only personel. on our new unit, the doors can only be opened with a key to go out, and to come in, one uses one of those "press to open" pads like icu has and the doors automatically lock when they close. i don't like this new way because a resident can run out when a person comes in before the doors close. when all else fails, i'd put her on 1:1. some may think you'd be wasting an employee, but if she elopes and is found dead, or injured, it sure beats the law suit that would follow !

[night owl]

on our old alzheimers's unit the access button to open the front doors was behind the nurses station desk and the ns was enclosed so no resident could get behind the desk, only personel. on our new unit, the doors can only be opened with a key to go out, and to come in, one uses one of those "press to open" pads like icu has and the doors automatically lock when they close. i don't like this new way because a resident can run out when a person comes in before the doors close. when all else fails, i'd put her on 1:1. some may think you'd be wasting an employee, but if she elopes and is found dead, or injured, it sure beats the law suit that would follow ! we also have the key pad by the exit door in the hallway that is off the unit on the second floor due to one resident who jumped off the second floor stairwell head first, an attempted suicide...he succeeded. :o