My father is 77 recovering from a stroke and also has early onset of dementia and other health issues. He is in a rehabilitation center that we had great experience in before. But tonight my mom gets a call that somehow my dad which his room is right by the nurses station walked by there got on the elevator to the 1st floor walked by a secretary desk and went out walking was a mile down the road and police were called but we never received a call until after they found him. How I ask how in the world does this happen. He's on blood thinners if he had fallen that could have been fatal. He crossed a busy road and a not so good area as well. The Lord was protecting him and I am thankful. But what happened who dropped the ball and how did this happen?
Sometimes the facility might not call the family until after the resident is found if the family do not live in the same town or if ALL of the staff are looking for the resident or if it is the middle of the night. It depends on the facility's "Policy and Procedures for "Resident Elopement" or "Resident Wandering". Talk to the Director of Nursing and ask what their policy is in regards to contacting the family when a resident leaves the facility unescorted.
Also, investigate "WHY" your father left the facility. Was he wanting to "go home"? Was he looking for the restroom and got lost? Does he remember the reason for leaving the facility?
Since your Father has had a stroke and early onset dementia, it is possible that the dementia is getting worse and that your Father needs to be on a unit that has locked doors that prevent residents from leaving the unit or facility. You need to talk with the Nurse Manager of the Rehab Unit and see if your Father is exhibiting any changes in behavior or increased confusion or decreased cognitive/mental ability. If so, he needs to be checked for a UTI as that can increase confusion in the elderly.
I have worked 20+ years in long term care and I could spend ALL DAY telling you stories of residents leaving nursing homes, LTC/Rehab facilities, assisted living facilities and hospitals. Some residents simply walk out the front door and others figure out how to "beat the system". I have known residents who climbed fences because they wanted to "go for a walk", or "go check on their café/newspaper/store, etc."
Depending on where you live, many LTC facilities or assisted living facilities do not lock their outside doors except at night...and even then, the doors are locked to keep people from GETTING INTO THE BUILDING and not to prevent residents from leaving the building (due to FIRE CODES). One of our local LTC/Rehab facilities encourages the Rehab residents to go outside and walk along the "Garden Paths" or sit on one of the many benches located around the property so the outside doors are unlocked during the day.
If someone develops a tendency to "wander" outside "too often" or at inappropriate times, then that resident is moved to the "Special Care/Memory Care Unit" and a Wanderguard-type device is placed on the resident or their walker or wheelchair.
When Mom started to wheel herself outside looking for my brother or myself or for some grade school children who she thought were her grandchildren (who are in their late 20's and live in another state); she was moved from the Rehab unit to the "Memory Care Unit". Whenever she wheeled her w/c too close to the unit door--which was always open--the "Wanderguard-type" device would activate the door to close immediately and could only be opened from by someone with a special key/code. Mom never did figure out why the door kept closing "in her face".
Some "Special Care/Memory care Units" are locked at all time and a code is needed to get into and out of the unit.
You need to focus on "WHY" did your Father leave the building and then attempt to "correct" the problem or "meet his need" so that he does not attempt to leave the building again. It is also possible that your Father had no idea that he was leaving the Rehab facility without permission or even that he was leaving the building at all. Dementia can cause people to do unusual behaviors that they did not do in the past.
Have you asked for a full incident report and follow up? If not, do.
This is a big oversight of the rehab and could be sued if something happened to him.
Facility is now closed as of this year
Funny story, though unlikely funny to you is that when I was an RN I occ. got
"floated" to psyc unit to work. There was a new fellow there being trained. The staff wore street clothes and the patients wore street clothes and the doc wore street clothes in psyc. So a patient comes up to new hire, Hanson, and says "I am ready to leave now" and Hanson unlocks the door and lets him go.
Thought he was a doctor.
So, yes, this happens. And yes, I am thankful that he was safe.But there are no guards at the doors and no locked doors, and people at desks are busy. In rehab, those who can walk out in the halls are encouraged to do so. It's good for them. And your Dad walked out the door. Yikes. So scary.
I am certain they will discuss some of this with you. So sorry it happened to you (which is likely what they will say, as well). I am not certain how they could prevent this sort of thing? Are you? Do you have suggestions to take to them on interview? Because docs, employees, visitors and patients who are dressed meld into a mix in these places that isn't always controlled. It's why memory care has locked units.