An elderly man has proven that you should never underestimate a veteran after he used his military training to escape a care home with his wife. The staff at the facility learned this lesson the hard way, and they’ve since been ordered to pay the price.
Elmcroft Senior Living, an elderly care home in Lebanon, Tennessee, came under scrutiny after an elderly couple escaped the secure memory unit at the assisted living facility. The pair, who suffers from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, went missing for 30 minutes before a stranger found them about two blocks from the facility, picked them up, and returned them to the home, according to Daily Mail.
After the couple was found and returned to the facility, the staff was immediately curious how the pair had escaped the memory unit. Since the unit was secured with a locking door and required an electronic pin to be entered into a keypad to open the door, the staff could not explain how the couple managed to escape. They’d soon learn, however, that the elderly man’s military training had come into play.
Although he suffered from memory issues, there was one thing the elderly veteran apparently hadn’t forgotten from his military days. Upon questioning, the unnamed man told staff he had “previously worked with Morse code in the military” and was able to use his experience to escape, according to Tennessee Department of Health documents obtained through a public records request, The Tennessean reported.
Using his Morse Code training, he allegedly listened to the beeps as staff punched the numbers into the keypad. After studying the sounds, he was eventually able to make sense of the seemingly random beeps and deciphered the code, which he also miraculously memorized. Armed with the pin, thanks to his Morse Code training, it was “go time” for the elderly veteran and his wife. After entering the pin into the keypad, the door opened, and the elderly couple bolted.
The resident was “able to listen to the code when staffed punched in the numbers and was able to figure out the number for the numeric code to exit the memory care unit,” according to a report following an investigation by the Tennessee Department of Health care home licensing board.
The elderly pair didn’t get far, but that didn’t keep Elmcroft out of trouble. As a result of the brief escape from the secure memory unit, the facility was fined $2,000 by state officials. In an attempt to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future, the assisted living facility told state regulators that staff would check on the residents more frequently. All exit codes for the facility were also changed, according to a statement provided by the company.
“The safety of our residents is the top priority at our senior living community. We are thankful both residents were returned to the community safely,” the statement said. “We reported the situation to the state and their family immediately after it happened and fully cooperated with the state during its review.”
In addition, the facility agreed to schedule “walking time outside the facility with a staff member present” for the elderly veteran who escaped, according to state records. His daughter also promised to visit more regularly to take her father outside more frequently.
Hopefully, the story has taught staff at Elmcroft Senior Living and others who care for the elderly a few very valuable lessons. First, basic needs go beyond shelter and food. People also need simple enjoyment — even those with memory issues. They need time outdoors and with loved ones, and they should not be expected to be content to be confined inside during the last years of their lives. This is also a great reminder not to underestimate the elderly or our military veterans and to spend time with our loved ones, especially those who reside in such facilities.
Even if their memories are slipping, the elderly still have an immense reserve of knowledge that they can tap into, effectively shocking those who miscalculate their abilities. As this man proved, our elders often know things we might not even consider. This facility’s failure to recognize this particular resident’s skill set resulted in their staff members being easily outwitted. Thankfully, however, this story has a happy ending. The man and his wife are safe, and the facility will now be giving them the extra TLC they deserve.
Source: Tap Worthy Happenings
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