Nursing Home Intrusion: Not On Your Watch?
By: David S. Barmak, JD, CEO
and Louise Lindsey, B.S., M.A., D.Div.
An article in the Boston Globe reported on a woman who was able to successfully partake in nursing home intrusion and pretend to be a physician-in-training for several days. She had no identification badge, but simply wore “scrubs” with the hospital’s logo on them. With her knowledge of hospital surgical programs due to her prior participation in another facility’s surgical residency program, she was able to appear as if she fit in. Although she had no identification badge, she accessed restricted areas by “tailgating” when others would use their badges to open doors to restricted areas. In the article, this woman is reported to have gone on “patient rounds,” watched surgical procedures and even helped move one person to the hospital’s recovery area. In a lecture she attended, she even asked some questions. Of particular importance to the hospital, was the fact that she did not perform any medical procedures.
Probably, a key to this woman’s success in being in places she should not have been was due to her air of self-confidence. Ultimately, her nursing home intrusion was discovered and she was escorted out of the hospital. A “normal” response to being “found out” in such circumstances would be to escape and flee hoping there would be no further consequences. However, in this instance, the woman just headed for another healthcare facility. Fortunately, the hospital officials alerted the other hospital and she was denied entry. Apparently, this woman’s intentions were benign; but, what if she had wanted to inflict harm?
The world today is not as safe as it used to be – abused spouses are stalked, family members may become violent when a loved one dies or is perceived to have been mistreated, persons with drug addiction may be seeking to steal drugs or items of value that can be sold, disgruntled former employees may seek to exact revenge on a facility and its staff and terrorists are a source of constant conversation and concern. There are innumerable scenarios that might be played out by an intruder.
In a skilled nursing home facility atmosphere where staff are very busy just caring for the residents, it could be relatively easy for an intruder to walk the halls of a nursing home facility without being noticed-especially if the intruder is confident and acts as if he or she belongs. It should also be noted that large facilities and facilities that use agency staff may be at greater risk for intruders.
“Forewarned is forearmed,” only holds if the warning is heeded and prevention steps are undertaken. Here are some possible proactive security actions to consider:
All staff should wear identity badges,
Restrict access to resident areas by having check-ins using photo id’s and providing temporary identity badges,
Monitoring the reception area and other access areas with cameras provides a readily accessible record of any interaction with visitors,
Provide staff training about “tailgating,” confronting unfamiliar people or people who seem out of place, and what to do if someone enters the facility with sinister motives.
The purpose of this article is not to make people and facilities paranoid to the point of creating negative public relations interactions. The purpose is to raise awareness of a potential problem and to encourage facilities to think about their specific entity’s security and the responsibility they have to protect and to “provide care and services for the highest well-being” to the residents who have been placed in their care.
For more information regarding this article, call 609-454-5020 or email info@mednetconcepts.com.
