Dad was able to wander off from care home

[Whatisthisfuckery]

My dad, who has quite advanced Alzheimer’s, has gone into a care home for a couple of weeks for respite care. He is very confused and really doesn’t know where he is or what he’s doing.

Yesterday my mum got a call from the manager informing her that dad had somehow got out and wandered off. He was found at the shops over the road, apparently looking for my mum’s car. He was in the home less than a day and they already managed to lose him.

I’m absolutely furious with the staff at the home, where is their safeguarding? They know my dad has Alzheimer’s, that is why he’s there. Anything could have happened to him when he wandered off.

My mum isn’t very happy but she’s not the type to make a fuss. I however am concerned. If my dad was able to just wander off out the door after being there for less than a day, how many other residence have done or could do the same? This is a serious safeguarding failure and it needs to be addressed. My dad was put there to be safe, not to be allowed to wander off on his own in an area he doesn’t know.

Who should I contact about this? I don’t think there’s much point in talking to the staff at the home itself, as they can just say anything. Can anybody point me in the direction of who I can raise my concerns with so they’ll be listened to? I don’t want my dad or any other vulnerable person to be harmed because of their poor safeguarding.

I’ve known it happen very occasionally in my mother’s excellent, dementia-only care home, where you had to be buzzed in and out.
But occasionally, despite being warned, visitors who were new to it would not realise that the odd resident was often lurking near the door, looking for a chance to ‘escape’ and would let them out because they thought the person looked ‘normal’.

When I was once leaving, a woman resident appeared from nowhere and tried to slip out with me. I had to restrain her and luckily the vigilant staff had seen and were there within seconds. But it was very distressing all round.
These things will occasionally happen in the best regulated care homes. I dare say the staff are as mortified as anybody that such a breach should occur.

Do you think it might be because he was new so that some of the staff didn't recognise him?

I was wondering this. I worked in psychogeriatric homes years ago, and we knew all our patients (who tend to be long term) so a strange face might have been mistaken for a visitor.

Ask the Matron whether an incident form has been completed, whether you can have a copy, and ask to meet them after they have had time to establish what happened.

I am thinking that his age must have been a factor, as 64 is young to be a resident and it is about the age of a lot of residents visitors adult children . Not that that is an excuse , hopefully they will learn from it x

I actually let someone “escape” from my mam’s care home. There are keypads on doors and the lift, but I honestly didn’t realise she was a resident. I thought she was a visitor. She had a jacket on and carried a bag.
She got into the lift with me and out the lobby door. Luckily she only got as far as the car park before someone realised. But I honestly didn’t and happily let her out.
The home is well locked up but it was quite easy for her to get out. Could the same sort of thing have happened?
I understand why you are annoyed though. I would be too if it was my mam.

Fire safety requirements also mean there cant be total security against people leaving unless it is a totally secure unit the same as schools. There may be other residents there who do come and go themselves and without a DOL order the home has to let them. But it is understandably distressing when it happens.

My mum developed complex dementia which advanced very quickly when she was quite young. She lived in a dementia care home for a few months before she passed away at 69 and they did have to change the key code for the lift down from the dementia floor once or twice because although her short term memory was shot to pieces, mum was exceptionally bright and observant. Somehow she saw or worked out the number and used to just turn up downstairs. She really kept them on their toes while she was there. Luckily the security has many, many layers so although she could get downstairs occasionally she only got out of the building once (like many PP have said, she was just let out as someone assumed she was a visitor).

It sounds like your father may not be in the right setting or not in the right part of the current setting? Also look in to a depravation of Liberty (DOL) order because they may not be able to stop him from leaving (but they should still follow him and call the next of kin if they know he is going and is at risk).

Speak to the home, they should be investigating how he got out?? And how it can be stopped form happening in future.

At our care home the "escapes" have usually occurred because the family of another resident have let them out. Many of the residents do look "normal", and will walk around with their coats and bags, talking about visiting their mums/dad's and how they have to get home because they have work to get to. Or that their husbands are waiting in the car for them. They can be very convincing!!!

If you aren't happy with what you hear from the care home, then you can always contact cqc (a bit like Ofsted for care homes)

@Whatisthisfuckery
You dad sounds the same stage as my mother was when she moved to a care home.

Care homes are very varied, some are very good and others not so much. It really isn't acceptable that he managed to escape within hours of arriving, I hope you get the answers you need from the manager and social services.

Not acceptable at all. Reminds me of an incident a few years ago when the same thing happened and the poor man was found drowned a few days later. Heartbreaking.

Care homes are not prisons and care home residents are not prisoners. Unless there is a Deprivation of Liberty approved for a specific resident by the local authority, the care home has no legal remit to stop anyone leaving.
To do so would be breaking the law and a significant safeguarding concern. You cannot simply lock people in.

@LemonRoses

Care homes are not prisons and care home residents are not prisoners. Unless there is a Deprivation of Liberty approved for a specific resident by the local authority, the care home has no legal remit to stop anyone leaving. To do so would be breaking the law and a significant safeguarding concern. You cannot simply lock people in.

But they need to be kept safe, so of course they can't be allowed to wander in and out at will. If the residents were safe to do that, they'd be able to live in their own homes.

But they need to be kept safe, so of course they can't be allowed to wander in and out at will. If the residents were safe to do that, they'd be able to live in their own homes.

Indeed they may well need to be protected which is why there is a MCA (2005) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.

A care home has no right to place restrictions on people without this. People are free to come and go without restrictions unless there has been an application made. A care assistant can’t just decide not to let someone out for a walk. The law protects against overly zealous restrictions and removing people’s freedom.

People (including people with dementia or learning disabilities) must be supported to make their own decisions and to have least restrictions possible imposed on them. If they choose to go into the garden in the rain, that is their right. A member of staff might try to persuade them otherwise or distract them, but if they still try to open the door and say they want to go out their path should not be locked. Unless there is an application for a DoLS with the local authority.

Ypu can only escape, if your liberties have been formally restricted in some legal way. Otherwise you are simply going out. The good care home might manage this by sending a member of staff with them or creating a meandering path that returns them to another door.

Normal security is perfectly reasonable. A front door locked by a latch. If the person asks to go out and can’t be persuaded otherwise some way to protect them other than removing their freedom should be found. It’s probably better to apply for a DoLS.

I agree a DoLS would be necessary and I have assumed that one would have been applied for. I was concerned my mother would try to leave to 'go back home' and the manager assured me they always applied for a DoLS. The OP's father is at risk if he walks out and it's in his best interests to stay inside the care home.

My job is related to this area. I do not know of any care homes in my local area who wouldn't do an MCA in relation to leaving the care home on admission (even if it's respite) and then apply for DOLS if required. From what is written in the OP about her dad having advanced dementia and was looking for his wife's car it would indicate this would have been appropriate.

Most care homes have the doors locked and have keypads (often with the numbers written nearby) so any resident who is able to leave and wants to can and also keeps the residents who do not have capacity to leave without a carer safe too.

The local authority safeguarding team will be able to investigate and see whether the correct assessments took place.

I would ask the s.w and the home manager what information they had about his confusion and risk of wandering before he went into the carehome, did he go from hospital or home, does he understand why he is there., I can see how it might have happened if he is new, carehome residents dont wear name bands like in hospital. If the manager told your mum then it sounds they are honest and open, he will need an assessment to make sure he is in the right place.

My Grandmother escaped from a dementia ward in hospital once. Whilst being treated for low sodium levels she was well enough to dress herself and walk around. We think another visitor must have held the door open for her at the end of the corridor. She was found roaming the corridors within 30 minutes I believe. We're aware that it could have been loads worse if she'd made it out of the building though. Staff were apologetic and kept a better eye on her.

I'm sorry this happened to your dad.

It happens quite a lot - usually because a visitor hasn't closed the door fully and so it hasn't latched. Occasionally because the electricity to the keypad/ lock has been disrupted and opened it.

I'm an adult social worker and we see it at least once a year at pretty much every home in our area, both cheap and expensive.

Realistically homes do not watch people constantly and do not have a security officer on the door. Larger homes will often have a reception desk manned during the day, but smaller home don't always have this, or the receptionist is having lunch, in the back office etc.

This is awful op. I once heard someone say people suffering from Alzeimers don't 'wander' they are exploring or experiencing things, the person stating it seemingly oblivious to the safety issues with wandering.

I don't know the ins and outs of what is allowed legally but obviously the home has a duty of care to keep their residents safe and you need to (with your mum's consent) ring the manager and ask her what is in place to prevent this happening again and ensure an incident form has been completed.

Sorry about your df. Must be an awful situation, he's so young .

I’ve spoken to my mum. All the info she was given I’ve already posted on this thread, which is not a lot. No talk of an incident report or a risk assessment, she also doesn’t know if he has a DOL.

I’ve tried to call the duty SW, but she is off today and tomorrow, so I called her team who have taken the details and passed it over to duty. I asked how long it would take for the to contact me but the man said he didn’t know, but he would mark it as high priority as it relates to safeguarding. He sounded a bit half baked TBH but hopefully I’ll hear back soon, and if not I’ll keep on at them.

I’m not sure whether to call the home or not. I want to find out if. DOL has been applied for or not, because it certainly should have been, and I need to speak to SS for that.

God it’s so difficult to get anywhere. My mum is half soaked and just wants me to get on with it and tell me how it goes. Honestly I feel like the only one who actually cares about my dad.

I would call the care home manager. She will be able to tell you if a DoLS has been applied for. I never discussed it with the social worker, only with the care home manager.

I’m so sorry to hear of this and your poor dad is so young! Here’s me talking about my MiL and your dad is the age of my husband. I think this is why they accidentally let him out. He’s so young he probably doesn’t look like a resident.
I hope you get to speak to someone helpful soon.

I hope you get it sorted . My Nan escaped from a hospital a few years back , ironically we had been instructed to bring in red clothes for her to wear as apparently ‘all the hospital staff know to keep an eye out for people dressed all in red ‘ . We dutifully bought her red outfits , dressing gowns , slippers etc to get a phone call the next day to say that they had lost her .

Call the home. I am a nursing home manager and we had the first missing person last week in 5 years. Unfortunately with the best will in the world it cannot be prevented 100% of the time. This lady is constantly exit seeking and a relative let her out when they were leaving. We did a full investigation and have put additional measures in place, but even with them we can never fully guarantee full protection against this. Put the heart crossways on myself and the staff but she was found very soon and unharmed.

I want to find out if. DOL has been applied for or not, because it certainly should have been, and I need to speak to SS for that.

The home can self authorise for 1 week, whilst they wait for the local authority to act on the application. They can self authorise for a second week if they don't hear from the LA. Its the home that makes the application and does the self authorisations though.

A DOLS would allow them to stop you dad from leaving if they had seen him do it, but it wouldn't stop a door accidentally being left open or a well meaning idiot holding it open for him.