My mom has not tried to get out at night but who knows if that might change. Are there regulations on assisted living facilities requiring someone monitoring the front door? You can walk out but can’t come back in. Also, if I come back with her after 8:30 it’s difficult to get anyone to to come to the door. The say to push the emergency button at the door but no one comes . I’ve just had to wait until I happen to see a person working there way down the hall and bang on the door. I don’t want to move her because she’s comfortable there, not happy about being there, but at least used to it and the staff are very nice. I just don’t know if I can get the management to change this. I’m in Colorado.
I know for a fact, that the log is looked at. My GF was a hairdresser for the AL. She did hair there on Mondays. This one time she took a resident to her shop, right around the corner, to do her hair. I was there and volunteered to take the resident back. When I got there the aide said "we wondered where she was". My GF had forgotten to log the resident out.
* You could also go directly to the licensing board of these types of facilities in your state.
* I note some people here. are rude. I encourage all of us to show compassion and kindness when responding to a person's question/concerns.
Gena / Touch Matters
I found a man who had fallen onto a recently severely pruned rose bush. I was prompted to look for a patient because I found an empty wheelchair on a sidewalk. Very thick wood with huge thorns. When he fell he straddled it so the thorns were entwined into the shorts he was wearing and his skin. He had some kind of foot soft casts/boots on because of recent surgery. One of the nurses had taken him outside earlier in the day and parked him. It was a Texas hot summer day, so when they didn't come back for him, he tried to get inside on his own. From that point he was attached to the bush out in the blazing hot sun for I don't know how long. I couldn't get him up by myself because it was hurting him, so I ran inside to get help. Their response when they saw him....'well, how did you get down there....giggle giggle'. I was soooo mad. I found his family later and let them know about the wounds he had in crotch area and suggested they make sure that fall was recorded in his record.
For the door to lock behind them - now that's the real issue. If you're having trouble getting anyone's attention, you can bet one of those elderly people could end up in the cold or other bad weather waiting on someone to show up. (Especially in the area you are!) I shudder to think about one of those old folks going out for a stroll or a smoke and ending up outside waaaay too long and possibly not being found until the next day. Scary!!
I think I would definitely talk to them about it. Perhaps mention a swipe card or code for people to use going in and out at night. If they won't do that, another suggestion might be a detour sign at that door when they are not sitting back there to direct the residents to go to another door where staff are sitting. Folks in AL would probably be able to follow a direction like that. However, if memory becomes a problem, the resident would need a more monitored/higher level of care facility.