HOMES AND SENIORS SERVICES
POLICY & PROCEDURE NUMBER: 1.21
DEPARTMENT: Administration SUBJECT: Wander Alert System
APPROVAL DATE: October 2015 REVISION DATE:
Page 1 of 3 PURPOSE:
To provide a system to support resident safety and minimize the risk of wandering/elopement from the long-term care home.
PROCEDURE:
1. Residents with documented wandering/exit seeking behaviours identified in the
Continuing Care Access Centre (CCAC) paperwork will be admitted to the Memory Care Home Area (MCHA) upon admission to the home as per the Long-Term Care Home Act, Section 43, (6), Section 44, Section 45.
2. Newly admitted residents to the MCHA will be monitored for wandering/exit seeking behaviours. The internal Behaviour Supports Ontario (BSO) team in collaboration with the MCHA staff, Manager of Resident Care (MRC)/delegate will assess the resident for wandering and exit seeking behaviour.
3. Current residents that begin to exhibit wandering/exit seeking behaviours, whose safety is deemed to be at risk and do not currently reside on the MCHA, will be assessed by the Home’s BSO team, MCHA staff, MRC/delegate to determine appropriateness of transfer to the MCHA:
a. Assessments may include – Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Cognitive Performance Scale (CPS), behaviour mapping, review of progress notes including documented incidents of exit seeking/wandering, and risk management
information within Point Click Care (PCC).
4. Following the assessment, if identified as appropriate, the internal BSO team may
recommend the wander alert system be trialled with the resident to evaluate effectiveness. 5. The recommendation for the wander alert system will be discussed with the physician,
resident (if appropriate) and personal representative/substitute decision maker (SDM). Any resident being considered for the wander alert system will be informed that if the wander alert system is not an effective intervention (i.e. elopements, elopement attempts, frequent exit seeking behaviour, responsive behaviour, etc.) then the resident will be considered for placement on the MCHA and a meeting will be scheduled to discuss resident safety.
DRAFT NEW
HOMES AND SENIORS SERVICES
POLICY & PROCEDURE NUMBER: 1.21
DEPARTMENT: Administration SUBJECT: Wander Alert System
APPROVAL DATE: October 2015 REVISION DATE:
Page 2 of 3
6. The wander alert system is considered an environmental restraint and requires a physician’s order, consent, monitoring, care planning and evaluation – see policy and procedure “Restraints – Minimizing Restraining of Residents”.
7. When the decision is made to trial the wander alert system, a wrist/ankle strap and tag will be applied to the resident. Communication to all departments re: the initiation of the trial period will occur by MRC/designate.
8. The date of expiry and serial number of the wrist tag will be recorded in the eMar and will be replaced one week prior to expiry date. It will be noted on the eMar to check the resident’s wrist/ankle every shift to ensure that the strap and tag are in place.
9. The registered staff or designate will walk with the resident to the front door to ensure the bracelet/tab is functional. If the bracelet/tab is not functional, the resident will be
escorted back to the MCHA until a replacement bracelet/tab is obtained from the MRC/designate.
10. The effectiveness of the wander alert system for the resident will be reassessed regularly by the internal BSO team in collaboration with the Registered Staff and Personal Support Worker (PSW) staff of the MCHA.
11. Any safety concerns will be immediately reported to the registered staff and MRC for immediate evaluation for relocating the resident to the MCHA.
12. A resident trialled with the wander alert system will be provided with the initial strap and tag at no cost which must be returned upon discharge. Replacement strap/tag costs will be billed to the resident as per market rate as per County By-law.
13. The wander alert system is considered an additional safety precaution and is not designed to be used in place of a “MCHA (secure unit)” within the home. The wander alert system is an additional measure to aide in the deterrent/management of exit seeking behaviour and the potential risk associated with exit seeking and elopement.
14. In the event the resident is not appropriate for the wander alert system and a MCHA is recommended, Sections 45 and of the Long Term Care Home Act will apply.
DRAFT NEW
HOMES AND SENIORS SERVICES
POLICY & PROCEDURE NUMBER: 1.21
DEPARTMENT: Administration SUBJECT: Wander Alert System
APPROVAL DATE: October 2015 REVISION DATE:
Page 3 of 3
Door Alarm Operation:
1. The inside sliding door is always in the locked position to staff, residents and visitors. 2. If a resident with the “Roam Alert Securaband” tag and strap approaches the door:
a) The door will remain locked as long as the resident remains in the area and,
b) An alert alarm will sound at the wander alert station located at the front door and on the identified home area. The doors will remain locked at this time.
3. When the alarm sounds, staff will go to the front doors as quickly as possible to ensure that the resident has not exited the building and to redirect the resident away from the door. 4. To escort a resident with the tag/strap through the door, the following BY-PASS function must be performed:
a) you must enter 1938# at the wander alert station mounted at the front door
b) this allows a 20 second period to escort the resident through the doors without causing an alarm.
c) the alarm will automatically reset to “normal” secure operation after the 20 seconds 5. If the front door is open, and a resident with the tag/strap wanders near the wander alert station, the alarm will sound and the station must be reset by entering the DISABLE function - 1939#; or by moving the resident away from the door for a period of 20 seconds.
6. The bypass and disable codes should be provided to registered staff, management, and administrative clerk staff. Family, visitors and residents will not be provided with the bypass codes.
NOTE:
This is a stand alone system. It does not operate in conjunction with the fire alarm or fire panel. The system will still work if there is a fire trouble. If fire bells are going off the wander alert still works as it normally would. The wander alert does not need to be reset at any time. The only time wander alert would not work is if power to the building was off or the system was physically unplugged from power.