Independent LOA

[CapeCodMermaid]

Do any of your facilities allow residents to go out unescorted? I'm not talking about a trip on the chair car with a driver....I'm talking walking through town to buy food or smokes or God knows what else. I recently started as the DNS of a facility where there were people with independent loas! At another facility a few towns over, which allowed the same thing, a 42 year old woman got hit by two cars on her way to the movies and died! I've worked in at least 7 facilities and none of them ever allowed this. I changed the rule of course to try to keep them all safe and keep my license as well and am getting nothing but push back from the residents, which I expected, and the staff which I didn't expect. Any comments?

[Nascar nurse, ASN, RN]

I'm sure there's a subassessment form out there somewhere that you could probably use to determine who is and who is not appropriate to be an independent LOA. Seems as if we have a subassessment form for everything else.

Of course I would also want a physician order that this is OK.

[nursinger]

when my dad was in rehab, following bka, there was a pt that had off-premises privilege...he used to walk down to the corner liquor store, and pick himself up a 6pack...don't know how or why the facility allowed that.

Years ago when I first started working at my facility, we had pts leave campus and go to "Bill's Corral" :cheers: which was right next to the facility and then they staggered home. I was brand new and could never understand that.

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

Years ago when I first started working at my facility, we had pts leave campus and go to "Bill's Corral" :cheers: which was right next to the facility and then they staggered home. I was brand new and could never understand that.

Because years ago it was truly a home and not a quasi-hospital with more regulations than a nuclear power plant.

[debRN0417]

I echo the statement- "If they can go running all over town without help, then why are they in a nursing facility?" I mean, I am all for independence and getting out and having outings, but that sounds more like independent living to me than long term care. I would be afraid of the liability issues.