Elopement is the unauthorized departure of a resident who lacks the capacity to protect themselves. It is distinguished from wandering, which is movement within the facility.
Prevention depends on cognitive assessment, elopement risk identification, secured unit placement where appropriate, alarm and monitoring systems, and staff response protocols.
Alternative Names:
Unsafe Wandering, Resident Elopement
Why it Matters?
Elopement cases are high-exposure because outcomes are frequently catastrophic and the facility's failure is usually stark: a resident identified as an elopement risk who left through an unmonitored exit. Defense turns on whether risk assessment was performed and acted upon, whether alarms and door monitoring functioned, and whether staffing permitted the required level of supervision. Maintenance logs for door alarms are routinely decisive.
Frequently Confused with
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between elopement and wandering?
What evidence matters most?
