Leave of Absence (LOA) - Updates

Before You Begin - Settings

Two new settings must be enabled before the LOA Round/Pass section and Unknown Return features become visible. These are configured by a facility administrator.

Enable LOA section on the MAR Round/Pass

(Enabled by default)

Settings > eMAR > Options > Med Round/Pass and Administration

1. Navigate to Settings > eMAR > Options.
2. Locate the Med Round/Pass and Administration section.
3. Enable the setting:
   • (EN-CA) Show LOA section in pass
   • (EN-UK) Show LOA section in round
4. Save your settings.

When enabled, a dedicated LOA section will appear on each Round/Pass. When disabled, LOA residents continue to appear in the Not Administered section as before.

Enable Unknown Return for Leave of Absence

Settings > eMAR > Options > Miscellaneous

1. Navigate to Settings > eMAR > Options.
2. Locate the Miscellaneous section.
3. Enable the setting: Unknown Return for Leave of Absence.
4. Save your settings.

When enabled, an "Unknown Return" checkbox will appear on the Create LOA and Edit LOA windows. When disabled, the checkbox is hidden. Existing Unknown Return LOA records are not affected if the setting is later disabled.

LOA Events - A Resident's Full History

A new LOA Events window is the central place for all LOA activity. It updates the previous Resident LOA detail screen and gives you a complete picture of a resident's LOA history, with the ability to create, edit, and release LOA periods from one place.

How to access LOA Events

MAR/TAR > MAR > LOA for All Residents -or- MAR/TAR > MAR > Selected Round/Pass > Resident > LOA

• From the LOA for All Residents window - click on any resident in the list.
• From the MAR Round/Pass - select a resident, then click the LOA button on their Round/Pass.

The LOA Events window shows:

• The resident header (name, dob, bed, chart number, allergies, diagnoses)
• A listing of all LOA periods: Effective Date, Release Date, Reason, Last Updated By
• Release and Edit buttons on the active LOA period
• An Add New LOA button to create a new period
• Search, column sorting, and pagination

Managing LOA - The Full Workflow

Creating a new LOA period

LOA Events window > Add New LOA -or- LOA for All Residents > resident > Add New LOA

1. Open the LOA Events window for the resident.
2. Click Add New LOA.
3. Enter the Start Date and Start Time.
4. Select a Reason from the dropdown.
5. Enter the End Date and End Time - or check "Unknown Return" if the return date is not known (see below).
6. Click Save.

LOA Reason list

When creating or editing an LOA period, the Reason dropdown shows LOA-specific options only, separate from Not Administered reasons.

The default reasons are:

• Resident not available (Admitted to Hospital)
• Resident not available (Day Centre)
• Resident not available (Day Clinic)
• Resident not available (Dental Appointment)
• Resident not available (Emergency Leave)
• Resident not available (Medical Appointment)
• Resident not available (Other)
• Resident not available (Social Leave)

Historical LOA records created before this release will retain their previous reason values. However, editing the LOA will require one of the new reasons to be selected.

What happens if there is a conflict

The system will prevent saving if the new LOA period overlaps with an existing LOA period or with signed administration data. When a conflict is detected:

• An inline message appears explaining the reason.
• The Save button remains disabled until the conflict is resolved.

LOA overlap:"LOA cannot overlap with another LOA period"

Administration data conflict:"Administration data exists for a scheduled medication within the selected period"

Date validation:"End date must be after the start date"

Unknown Return LOA

If the resident's return date is not known, you may check the Unknown Return checkbox instead of entering an End Date. The End Date and Time fields will be hidden.

1. Open the Create New LOA window for the resident.
2. Fill in the Start Date, Start Time, and Reason.
3. Check the "Unknown Return" checkbox next to the End Date field.
4. Click Save.

Once saved:

• The Release Date column in the LOA for All Residents and LOA Events windows will display "Unknown".
• The resident's Round/Pass card will show the LOA tag and "Unknown" as the Expected Return date.
• If the setting is later disabled, existing Unknown Return records retain the "Unknown" label. Editing one of those historical records will require an end date to be entered.

Releasing a resident from LOA

When a resident returns, use the Release button on their active LOA period in the LOA Events window. You will be prompted to choose which Round/Pass they return to.

LOA Events window > Active LOA period > Release button

1. Open the LOA Events window for the resident.
2. Locate the active LOA period and click Release.
3. A prompt will appear asking whether to return the resident to the current MAR Round/Pass.
4. Choose your option:

Option	What happens
Yes, return to the current Round/Pass	The LOA End Time is automatically adjusted to one minute before the current Round/Pass begins. The resident is released into the current Round/Pass and their medications become available immediately.
No, return to the next Round/Pass	The resident is released as of the current time. Medications will be scheduled from the next Round/Pass onward.
Cancel	No changes are saved. You are returned to the LOA Events window.

Amending an LOA period

You can edit an existing LOA period - without having to end it and start a new one. You can change the Start Date, End Date, and Reason, as long as the new dates do not overlap with signed administration data or another LOA period.

LOA Events window > select a record > Edit button

1. Open the LOA Events window for the resident.
2. Click the Edit button on the LOA period you want to amend.
3. Adjust the Start Date, End Date, and/or Reason as needed.
4. Click Save. The same conflict rules apply as when creating - the system will block saving if the amended dates overlap with another LOA period or with signed records.

Example scenarios:

Scenario	What to do
Resident due back Sept 5 - family calls to say they need one more day.	Open the active LOA record, change End Date to Sept 6, save. No admin data exists in that period - save succeeds.
LOA ended but resident has not returned - staff already recorded a Not Administered signature.	Edit will be blocked due to existing admin data. Create a new LOA period to cover the additional time instead or undo the administration record first and then extend the LOA period.

Checking LOA Across the System

Improved visibility of LOA status without having to open individual resident records.

LOA section on the MAR Round/Pass

When the "Show LOA section in rounds/pass" setting is enabled, a dedicated Leave of Absence section appears on each Round/Pass alongside Scheduled and Not Administered.

• Each Round/Pass card shows a count of current LOA residents and medications within the LOA section.
• LOA residents do not affect the completion status of the Round/Pass.
• LOA residents will also continue to appear in the Not Administered section, so staff giving medications can see them from either section.

To access the LOA section:

1. From the Medication Round/Pass screen, select a Round/Pass.
2. Select the Leave of Absence section.
3. All residents currently on LOA for that Round/Pass are displayed.
4. Click into a resident to view their medications as normal.

LOA for All Residents - Returning filter

The LOA for All Residents window gives a full list of all residents and their current LOA status. A new "Returning" filter row makes it easy to identify residents due back soon or with no return date set.

MAR/TAR > LOA for All Residents

Filter	Shows
All (default)	All residents regardless of return date
Next 7 Days	Residents due to return within the next 7 days
Next 14 Days	Residents due to return within the next 14 days
Next 28 Days	Residents due to return within the next 28 days
Unknown	Residents with no return date set (Unknown Return) and those due beyond 28 days

LOA status on resident cards

All resident cards now display a resident's current LOA status at a glance, without needing to open the resident record.

When a resident is on LOA, their card displays:

• An LOA badge beneath the resident's photo
• Expected Return date and time
• "Unknown" in place of the date if the LOA is Unknown Return

The LOA badge appears on resident cards across eMAR, e-Notes V5, Dashboard, and POC V5.

Resident Date of Birth on resident cards

Resident Date of Birth is now shown on all V5 resident cards across MAR/TAR, e-Notes, Dashboard, and POC V5, displayed on the row beneath the resident's name.

Audit Trail

All LOA activity is recorded in the Activity Log under the LOA audit type. Each entry captures the affected resident, the user who made the change, the date and time, and the full before-and-after detail of the LOA period.

Create and Edit events

Every time an LOA period is created or edited, an entry is recorded showing:

• The resident and chart number
• The LOA start date, end date, and reason
• The user and the time the change was made

Release events

When a resident is manually released from LOA, the release is also captured in the Activity Log, including whether they were returned to the current Round/Pass, the next one or the LOA was ended on a specific date