elopement

For us Filipinos elopement means going away with someone to get married secretly. But here, especially in hospitals and nursing homes, elopement means to run away, escape, walk away or get away unsupervised from the facility. This ia a major event, as harm could befall a patient which was supposed to be under your care. The steps we take are simple.1.Do a head count.Even if you are sure who is missing, someone else might be missing, too. Everyone should start looking.2.Look outside the facility while doing the head count.3. Sound an alarm, like a Code Houdini(missing person) and notify the family members, the attending doctor and the police . You should also look at your facility's own operating procedures. Once found, conduct a thorough examination of the patient to ensure any injuries are detected. Modify the care plan as necessary. Many times a resident is found wandering away a few feet from the exit, but occassionally, they have gone and round a bus back to their homes.
Every patient should be evaluated regarding the risk of elopement upon admission, and
care designed according to this risk.