Patient elopement is when individuals leave an area they are expected to stay within, for their safety. Elopement from a healthcare facility can have devastating consequences for a patient, including serious injury or death.
Oftentimes, resources on elopement are specific to the aging services setting since most elopements occur among older adults who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or dementia; however, elopement can present a risk for all manner of patients, particularly behavioral health patients and patients with altered mental status.
To prevent elopement, it is important to develop policies and procedures on what to do in the event of an elopement. Organizations should perform individualized assessments of elopement risk, develop person-specific interventions, and evaluate the interventions' effectiveness in managing the individual's behavior. Staff must follow these established procedures in a timely manner when an elopement occurs. In addition, the facility can consider installing environmental safeguards (e.g., barriers or buffers, windows and door locks) to aid in elopement prevention.
According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, patients should be assessed for elopement risk on admission and throughout their hospital stay. If a patient is deemed at risk for elopement, they should be put on special preventive precautions. See this Elopement Risk Decision Tree from Joint Commission Resources for an example.
Consider the following elements when developing an elopement prevention program:
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