Mum absconded from dementia unit
- Thread starter jh1
- Start date
Hi jh, welcome to TP
It does happen, there's one woman in care with my wife and she sits by the door in her hat and coat, gloves, scarf, handbag the whole lot and a visitor let her out assuming she was a visitor. This lady got up and asked if her taxi was there and so they assumed she was a visitor, some of the visitors are quite old themselves and the way she spoke and presented herself made them think she was just visiting so they let her out.
A couple of times it's been because the staff get careless and don't wait for a door to close and lock before they walk off so a resident gets through after them.
The home will have to document what happened and no doubt the CQC will pick up on it soa big black mark for them, the important thing is that the home make sure it can't happen again.
K
It does happen, there's one woman in care with my wife and she sits by the door in her hat and coat, gloves, scarf, handbag the whole lot and a visitor let her out assuming she was a visitor. This lady got up and asked if her taxi was there and so they assumed she was a visitor, some of the visitors are quite old themselves and the way she spoke and presented herself made them think she was just visiting so they let her out.
A couple of times it's been because the staff get careless and don't wait for a door to close and lock before they walk off so a resident gets through after them.
The home will have to document what happened and no doubt the CQC will pick up on it soa big black mark for them, the important thing is that the home make sure it can't happen again.
K
My smartly dressed and coherent to a small degree of retaining some past well used phrases dad in the early days in his NH was hovering by the coded door as he did many times after trying the door handle. On one occasion I was told he politely said to a visitor 'after you' and followed the lady into reception. The manager and receptionist escorted him back through again. So the homes have to be very vigilant and instruct visitors to be the same.
My husband was also very smartly dressed, held himself upright, and walked (four hours!) very purposefully around the Nursing Home. The Home had a very strict policy of all visitors signing in and out, but also, a Staff member had to let them in and let them out. Visitors, no matter how regularly they came, were never given the code for the door. Even the volunteers and the hairdresser, who came in a couple of times a week to do residents' hair, weren't given the code. And the code was changed every two weeks. This wasn't a Secure Unit, just a regular Nursing Home but all of the residents had dementia.
My Mum's home has recently had to stop giving anyone not staff the door code, as I assume someone got out.
It is an issue, as some residents settle less than others and are always alert for an open door. I think my mother escaped briefly - something she said made me think this - but the home never mentioned it, which surprised me. Usually they are very good....
It is an issue, as some residents settle less than others and are always alert for an open door. I think my mother escaped briefly - something she said made me think this - but the home never mentioned it, which surprised me. Usually they are very good....
My mother's care home is the same as Helly and LadyA describe - a long while ago they stopped giving the door code to visitors because a resident once got out that way. Now every visitor is let in and out by a member of staff, and all doors to the outside are kept locked.
It can seem incredible that people escape but of course it does happen.
We get in & out via door codes which was changed coming in last week. We are aware that there are some residents who would escape so we are vigilant if they are in the corridor.
We get in & out via door codes which was changed coming in last week. We are aware that there are some residents who would escape so we are vigilant if they are in the corridor.
How awful for you. Was your Mum any the wiser? Upset?
My Mums care home is on a third floor. From Ground floor in lift to 3rd floor you just press the button. To get into Dementia unit there is an unmarked switch shoulder height.
To get back out the door there is a digi lock, and also for lift to get back to ground floor. Stairs are in a stair well behind another digi lock door.
A new male resident managed to get all the way down to the ground floor reception.
When they watched back camera footage he must have been watching people coming and going and memorised the code.
He got out the door, and there were visitors going into the lift, from the other dementia wing, so in he hopped.
Hes very tall, and clearly recognised, so staff saw and stopped him before he got out onto the main road
The digilocks have been changed.
My Mums care home is on a third floor. From Ground floor in lift to 3rd floor you just press the button. To get into Dementia unit there is an unmarked switch shoulder height.
To get back out the door there is a digi lock, and also for lift to get back to ground floor. Stairs are in a stair well behind another digi lock door.
A new male resident managed to get all the way down to the ground floor reception.
When they watched back camera footage he must have been watching people coming and going and memorised the code.
He got out the door, and there were visitors going into the lift, from the other dementia wing, so in he hopped.
Hes very tall, and clearly recognised, so staff saw and stopped him before he got out onto the main road
The digilocks have been changed.
My Mil managed to 'escape' from a secure day care centre. No one could get in unless staff let them in, but at that time, visitors were given the code to get out. We think Mil either managed to get out through a side gate in the garden (which had been left unlocked by workmen) or she had done what so many are able to do - managed to convince another visitor who was leaving that she was a visitor too, and simply walked out with them.
She made her way to the premises of a disabled childrens day centre, a journey that we think took her the best part of an hour, told them that she had been 'at the church with a choir' from where she lived and that the bus had gone without her by mistake. She asked them to phone her a taxi, and gave them the address of the house she used to live in, about 12 miles away. Thankfully, staff at the childrens day centre realised something wasn't quite right, and instead, phoned the police. Equally thankfully, we had - after she had managed to 'escape' from our house several times - registered her as a vulnerable adult with the local police, and they eventually contacted us. We went and collected her, and headed back to her day care, thinking that they must be frantic with worry - only to find that they hadn't even noticed her missing. She had been gone, we think, for nearly 3 hours in total.
The day care held up their hands, apologised and took full responsibility. They changed the door codes (just in case) and visitors were no longer given them. Just over a week or so later, a member of staff looked out the lounge window, and spotted Mil pegging it up the road again. And again, they had no idea how she had got out.
Having witnessed first hand ourselves how determined, and clever and devious she could be in her escape attempts, it was hard to blame the day care too much, and at least they fully admitted responsibility, apologised and tried to make sure it didn't happen again. We thought we had thwarted all her tricks to get out of our house, yet at 2am one morning, she came downstairs, stood on a chair to reach the key to the patio doors (which was high up and hidden from direct sight), negociated a gate (with 2 bolts) from the patio to the garage, made her way through the garage (around lawnmowers, bikes, camping gear, tools etc) again stood on something to reach the bolt at the top of the garage door, and got out into the front garden and then to the street. She managed all this in the pitch dark. How she didn't fall and break her neck is a mystery still. Her only mistake was leaving her bedroom door open, so my husband spotted her empty bed when he got up to use the bathroom. He found her by chance when he saw her about to get into a taxi outside a house half way down the road from us - she had knocked on the door and persuaded the residents to phone a taxi for her.
The level of ingunuity needed for these escapes was unbelievable - at this stage, she could no longer work out how to make a cup of tea, but she could pull off escaping with ease, it seemed!
She made her way to the premises of a disabled childrens day centre, a journey that we think took her the best part of an hour, told them that she had been 'at the church with a choir' from where she lived and that the bus had gone without her by mistake. She asked them to phone her a taxi, and gave them the address of the house she used to live in, about 12 miles away. Thankfully, staff at the childrens day centre realised something wasn't quite right, and instead, phoned the police. Equally thankfully, we had - after she had managed to 'escape' from our house several times - registered her as a vulnerable adult with the local police, and they eventually contacted us. We went and collected her, and headed back to her day care, thinking that they must be frantic with worry - only to find that they hadn't even noticed her missing. She had been gone, we think, for nearly 3 hours in total.
The day care held up their hands, apologised and took full responsibility. They changed the door codes (just in case) and visitors were no longer given them. Just over a week or so later, a member of staff looked out the lounge window, and spotted Mil pegging it up the road again. And again, they had no idea how she had got out.
Having witnessed first hand ourselves how determined, and clever and devious she could be in her escape attempts, it was hard to blame the day care too much, and at least they fully admitted responsibility, apologised and tried to make sure it didn't happen again. We thought we had thwarted all her tricks to get out of our house, yet at 2am one morning, she came downstairs, stood on a chair to reach the key to the patio doors (which was high up and hidden from direct sight), negociated a gate (with 2 bolts) from the patio to the garage, made her way through the garage (around lawnmowers, bikes, camping gear, tools etc) again stood on something to reach the bolt at the top of the garage door, and got out into the front garden and then to the street. She managed all this in the pitch dark. How she didn't fall and break her neck is a mystery still. Her only mistake was leaving her bedroom door open, so my husband spotted her empty bed when he got up to use the bathroom. He found her by chance when he saw her about to get into a taxi outside a house half way down the road from us - she had knocked on the door and persuaded the residents to phone a taxi for her.
The level of ingunuity needed for these escapes was unbelievable - at this stage, she could no longer work out how to make a cup of tea, but she could pull off escaping with ease, it seemed!
All visitors had to be buzzed in and out of my mother's care home. I never heard of any 'escapes' but I wouldn't mind betting it happened. One or two residents were often lurking by the door, looking for an opportunity,,but there was a glass-walled office nearby and the staff were very vigilant. However on one occasion, as I was leaving, someone appeared like lightning from nowhere, and tried to leave with me. One of the staff was there instantly, but she (very angry) had to be physically restrained - it was awful.
I think that as people,have said, it may often be down to new and somewhat clueless visitors assuming that someone who can present well at first sight, is just another visitor. Hence the need for CH staff to give very definite instructions, but I dare say there will always be some who don't pay attention or take it in properly.
I think that as people,have said, it may often be down to new and somewhat clueless visitors assuming that someone who can present well at first sight, is just another visitor. Hence the need for CH staff to give very definite instructions, but I dare say there will always be some who don't pay attention or take it in properly.
Some of them can present extremely well.I remember one lady at mums care home who seemed completely lucid and I was convinced that she was either a member of staff or a visitor, so I was astounded when I discovered that she was actually a resident. In fact, I only found out when it was brought to everyones attention after she had absconded with other visitors and I dont think that I am totally clueless.
That's how Dad presented..smart trousers tie and shirt and he often had paper notes in his hand that he picked up on his walking routes ...a regression to his office work days..and in the early days inbetween his verbal assaults could be terribly polite and well spoken ....so could easily be mistaken for a visitor by those who only visited the home occasionally. Regular visitors obviously knew him as a resident
My grandmother was an escape artist bar none. She would escape with her Jack Russell under her arm with no money, slippers on, sometimes unsuitable clothing. She was variously found some 35 miles away in Guildford (relation of hers lived there in the 20s), at the site of the laundry (now long gone) where she worked before she married my grandfather and, famously, knocking on the door of a very surprised family asking for her mother (Gran was in her 90s!). Bless them, they took her in, fed her (and the dog) and kept her amused until the Police came to return her to my mum. When she went out she never had any money but when she came back (by whatever means) she usually had some cash on her. Burglary, mugging??? Fortunately the dog had a collar so mum's number was engraved with a message of who to contact.
About a year after my wife was diagnosed with FTD, we were out in the car and sitting in a queue at the traffic lights when I noticed a gentleman walking the opposite way. He kept stopping as though he was out of breath and something didn't seem right?
I turned round down the road and caught up with him a bit further up (he'd stopped again). I got out and asked if he was okay and he seemed a bit vague, saying he was an engineer and had to get back to work. I noticed he had a hospital wristband on (the general hospital is a mile or so down the same road) so I asked if he needed a lift anywhere or for me to call anyone.
He insisted he didn't and I didn't want to upset him so I drove off - but I stopped round the corner and called the police. I explained my concerns (being familiar with situations such as this, caring for my wife) and the call handler took his description, location etc and said she would dispatch someone to attend.
I kept an eye on this chap for as long as I could before I had to get off for an appointment. I think in all honesty that before my wife's diagnosis, I may not have been so aware of situations like this?
I turned round down the road and caught up with him a bit further up (he'd stopped again). I got out and asked if he was okay and he seemed a bit vague, saying he was an engineer and had to get back to work. I noticed he had a hospital wristband on (the general hospital is a mile or so down the same road) so I asked if he needed a lift anywhere or for me to call anyone.
He insisted he didn't and I didn't want to upset him so I drove off - but I stopped round the corner and called the police. I explained my concerns (being familiar with situations such as this, caring for my wife) and the call handler took his description, location etc and said she would dispatch someone to attend.
I kept an eye on this chap for as long as I could before I had to get off for an appointment. I think in all honesty that before my wife's diagnosis, I may not have been so aware of situations like this?
The Ch that was husband was in we’re having some decorating done in one of the main rooms. The decorators belonged to the chain that owned the home and their uniform was dark blue Tshirt and trousers.
In those days regular visitors knew the door lock numbers and, as some visitors were going out. He joined them, looking for all the world like one of the decorators. Fortunately, the receptionist saw him before he got right out! Clever, yes, but which member of staff let him put those particular clothes on?
In those days regular visitors knew the door lock numbers and, as some visitors were going out. He joined them, looking for all the world like one of the decorators. Fortunately, the receptionist saw him before he got right out! Clever, yes, but which member of staff let him put those particular clothes on?
