‘So-called security’ fails patient
Man leaves secure dementia unit undetected after ‘wind gust’ blows door open
When Alan Morgan answered a phone call at his North Canterbury home, relief engulfed his worried wife.
The 66-year-old man, who has dementia, had been missing for two hours after leaving the secure unit at Christchurch’s Burwood Hospital undetected. He had walked 12 kilometres along a busy road in scorching temperatures, before arriving at his home, washing the dishes and settling in front of the television.
It was the third time in four weeks that Alan Morgan had left the hospital, leaving his wife, Pania Morgan, ‘‘angry and upset’’ and questioning the hospital’s ‘‘so-called security’’.
‘‘We’re so lucky . . . Anything could have happened to him.’’
Burwood Hospital chief of service Helen Skinner said the incident was being treated ‘‘extremely seriously’’.
Alan Morgan went missing about 11.15am on Monday, soon after a visit from his wife. Burwood Hospital rang Pani Morgan about 12.30pm to inform her they could not find him and asked permission to give his photo to police.
She drove back to the hospital to help look for him. They found out he had gone home to Kaiapoi when he picked up a phone call at 1.15pm.
Pani Morgan believed her husband had walked home along a busy road in 30 degrees Celsius heat, but no-one could know for sure.
She asked him how he crossed the bridge over the Waimakiriri River. He said he had had a car at some point, but could not explain further.
She confronted hospital staff on Tuesday. She said they apologised and said a gust of wind had caused the door to stay open.
Her husband first started to show signs of dementia six years ago but continued to live with his wife of 36 years. He deteriorated a couple of months ago. Pani Morgan had to commit him for a compulsory assessment and treatment under the Mental Health Act four weeks ago.
‘‘He doesn’t like it [at Burwood] because he’s restricted in his freedom. He loves being outside.’’
She had found a permanent place for him to stay, but he needed to remain at Burwood for another two weeks after a change in medication.
Skinner said the incident had prompted a review of the hospital’s security measures. Access to and exit from the ward was being more closely controlled and monitored.
Over the past three years, there had been eight instances of patients escaping the locked unit, which provided assessment and care for people diagnosed with dementia, she said.
‘‘We will continue to review our processes and look into other measures we may be able to implement to reduce the likelihood of an incident like this occurring again.’’