Failure to Prevent Elopement of High-Risk Resident Due to Inadequate Assessment and Supervision
Penalty
Summary
A facility failed to ensure a safe environment free from accident hazards and did not provide adequate supervision to prevent the elopement of a resident with significant psychiatric and cognitive impairments. The resident in question had diagnoses including schizophrenia, suicidal ideations, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, and diabetes mellitus. Despite these conditions, the facility's elopement risk assessment did not account for the resident's cognitive level or history of elopement, and the assessment inaccurately determined that the resident was not at risk for elopement. The resident had demonstrated poor judgment and unsafe behaviors, including an attempt to ingest hand sanitizer, which was documented as a change of condition requiring reassessment and increased supervision. Following the resident's attempt to ingest hand sanitizer and escalating agitation, the physician recommended a 5150 hold for immediate psychiatric evaluation and stabilization. However, the facility did not follow this recommendation in a timely manner, nor did it reassess the resident's risk for wandering and elopement after the change in condition. The care plan called for close monitoring and hourly documentation, but the resident was last observed walking in the hallway and was later found missing during staff rounds. The facility's policies required identification, assessment, and appropriate interventions for residents at risk of elopement, but these procedures were not followed. Interviews with facility staff and review of records confirmed that the elopement risk assessment was conducted incorrectly, and that the resident should have been placed on one-to-one supervision and transferred to a general acute care hospital as recommended. The facility also failed to obtain a complete history of the resident's prior elopement behavior from family or conservators, which contributed to the inaccurate risk assessment. As a result of these failures, the resident eloped from the facility and was not found as of the time of the report.
Removal Plan
- Elopement Code was activated (Code Green) to alert staff to immediately search for Resident 1 inside and outside the facility and its vicinity.
- Acute hospitals were contacted to check for Resident 1's presence.
- The elopement involving Resident 1 was reported to Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), California Department of Public Health (CDPH), and the local Long-Term Care (LTC) Ombudsman.
- The DON and/or DSD initiated an in-service for facility nursing staff and Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) every shift on F689 Free of Accident Hazards/ Supervision and Monitoring focused on Elopement.
- The IDT which included Social Worker (SW), DON and Activities Director (AD) conducted record review and reassessed 65 out of 65 residents for wandering and elopement.
- A total of 4 residents were identified as high risk for elopement. The IDT updated the plan of care for all 4 residents.
- The facility's DON and Director of Staff Development (DSD) provided Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN), door monitor Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and CNA assigned to Resident 1 one on one education on F689 Free of Accident Hazards/ Supervision and Monitoring focused on Elopement.
- The DON and/or DSD provided staff in-service on regular rounding for patient safety and daily safety huddles.
- The facility's DSD observed CNAs during their shift when caring for 4 of 4 residents who were at high risk for wandering and with inappropriate behavior. Residents observed receiving adequate supervision accordingly.
- IDT initiated review of records and reassessment of 4 of 4 residents who were at high risk for elopement and wandering and plan of care updated.
- The Maintenance Director installed door chimes to notify staff of entry or exit in addition to the door monitor CNA, which was stationed at the entrance/exit 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
- The Director of Medical Records/Designee conducted an audit of residents' behavior, elopement and wandering episode to identify residents who had changes in condition, need monitoring and transfer to General Acute Care Hospital (GACH) for behavior management, through record review of assessments and physician's order.