What are some issues with younger residents you are having?

Specialties LTC Directors

Published

My facilities resident demographics are 75% under the age of 55. Currently having issues with them signing out and walking around town, sneaking off to liqour store and bar. We have a policy that does allow drinking with Dr order and must be checked on with the nurse. They instead are sneaking it in. Current Admin is 100% against drinking and says if they are well enough to walk around town and go to a bar then they don't require LTC. Any thoughts on resident right to drink, sign out for walks and go out with friends?

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

I'm with your Administrator. Anyone who is well enough to leave the building whenever they want, walk into town, and buy alcohol does NOT need to be in a long term care facility.

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Specializes in UR/PA, Hematology/Oncology, Med Surg, Psych.
I'm with your Administrator. Anyone who is well enough to leave the building whenever they want, walk into town, and buy alcohol does NOT need to be in a long term care facility.

Agree 100%. OP, aren't you worried about the liabilities this creates? And you want your nurses to be monitoring the alcohol consumption? No way would I take on that responsibility.

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Oh...hell no! We are a similar issue with this. I really don't want to be the nurse on duty when residents are sneaking or signing out, getting wasted and then coming back into the facility. BUT...for some reason this seems to happen. What needs to happen is the MD needs to sign a no LOA order. If they sneak out or leave without an order, they should be considered AMA or elopement and then discharged from the facility.

We should be able to drug test too. yes...we have narcan on hand, but for real???

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