Strengthen elopement prevention through operational audits in senior living

While many facilities implement protocols to reduce the risk of resident elopement, it is essential to establish routine audits and operational checks to ensure safeguards remain effective. Below are key components of a comprehensive elopement prevention strategy:

Door alarm audits

Regularly inspect all door alarms and electronic monitoring systems (e.g., WanderGuard) to ensure full functionality. Focus on:

• Testing alarm activation and staff response procedures.
• Ensuring alarms are both audible and visible to staff.
• Replacing batteries proactively and logging all maintenance activities.
  • See our Sample door alarm audit resource (PDF)

Resident monitoring device compliance

Ensure at-risk residents consistently wear functioning monitoring devices by:

• Conducting frequent visual checks
• Checking battery status regularly and replace battery or device
• Documenting compliance, malfunctions, or missing devices and following up immediately

Elopement drills and staff training

Maintain staff readiness and improve response times through:

• Realistic, interdisciplinary elopement simulations
• Post-drill evaluations to identify improvement opportunities
• Ongoing training and periodic competency assessments
• See our "Creating impactful elopement drills" article

Risk assessment and care plan audit

Regularly reassess residents’ elopement risk and update care plans accordingly:

• Review and revise care plans after any health or behavioral changes
• Involve interdisciplinary teams in assessments
• Ensure appropriate interventions are implemented based on updated risk levels

Incident reporting and continuous improvement

When an elopement or near-miss events occur:

• Document incidents thoroughly and promptly
• Conduct root cause analysis to identify contributing factors
• Implement corrective actions and monitor their effectiveness

Other resources

Preventing elopement: How to keep your residents safe (McKnight's Senior Living)