Arizona Disability Advocates for Elopement from Group Homes
When a family makes the difficult decision to place their child or loved one in a residential group home to provide for their care, one of the most basic expectations they should have is that the group home staff will be aware at all times of where the resident is in order to ensure their safety. Unfortunately, many group homes are insufficiently staffed and the staff they do have are overworked and often inadequately trained. This can lead to one of the most unacceptable and frightening incidents that can occur at a group home: a resident wandering off from the home.
Unfortunately, wandering off, also known as elopement, is one of the most prevalent problems at residential group homes. According to the National Institute for Elopement Prevention and Resolution, 10% of all litigation against long-term care facilities is for elopement, and this litigation is only for cases of elopement that are reported. Many elopement incidents go unreported.
If you have a loved one who resides in a group home in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, or elsewhere in Maricopa County and you know or suspect that staff negligence has enabled them to wander off from the facility, you should contact an Arizona group home abuse lawyer to discuss your case.
Causes of Elopement
There are many conditions in group homes that can increase the likelihood of elopement. These include:
- Understaffing
- Overcrowding
- Lack of proper supervision
- Inadequate training
- Malfunctioning/absent alarms
Dangers of Elopement
Elopement exposes vulnerable residents to a wide range of dangers. While there are many dangers a resident may encounter if they leave the facility unsupervised, some of the most prevalent include:
- Dehydration
- Missed medication
- Exposure to elements
- Injury or death in traffic
- Physical or sexual abuse
Treatment of Elopement
Since elopement is such a dangerous problem among people with developmental disabilities, a good group home will not only have sufficient staffing to supervise residents, but will also work actively to teach proper behaviors to prevent elopement from happening. Studies have proven that function-based treatments, such as providing reinforcement for appropriate requests to go outside, can have a substantial impact on resident behavior and can help prevent elopement from occurring. You should ask the group home administrators if they provide such treatments.
Elopement Response Plan
A good group home should also have an Elopement Response Plan in place and all staff members should be properly trained on it. An Elopement Response Plan allows staff members to respond effectively and systematically if an elopement should occur, and increases the likelihood that the resident will be found quickly. You should ask the group home administration if they have an Elopement Response Plan in place and if all staff members are trained on it.
Contact an Arizona Group Home Abuse Lawyer
If staff negligence has caused your loved one to elope from a group home in Phoenix, Tempe, Scottsdale or elsewhere in Maricopa County, it is best to consult with an Arizona group home abuse lawyer to discuss your case. For more information, please visit http://www.grouphomeabuselawyer.com/
