As Hurricane Dorian Approaches, 60% of FL Nursing Homes Still Without Backup Power

[tnbutterfly - Mary, BSN]

Charges against nurses resulting from deaths in a Hollywood, Florida nursing home following 2017 Hurricane Irma power shortages have been the topic of many news stories in recent days. As Hurricane Dorian is strengthening and projected to hit Florida, according to the Agency for Healthcare Administration, approximately 60% of FL nursing homes have not complied with a state mandate requiring all nursing homes and assisted living facilities to have backup generators or power sources for air conditioning.

Quote

Out of 687 nursing homes in the state, 400 — 58.2% — have been given more than an additional year by state officials to meet the requirements, though the original deadline was the start of last year’s hurricane season. About 90% of the state’s 3,000-plus assisted living facilities, which are often smaller and have fewer beds, have said they have installed equipment that meets the new standards.

Although the original deadline for compliance was June 1, 2018, state officials have been asked by nursing home facilities repeatedly to push back the deadline. Those requests have been grated 3 times.

Residents of those facilities are at risk. With Hurricane Dorian knocking at the door and sure to bring widespread power outages, how will this be any different than the Irma tragedy? Who is looking out for the welfare of the frailest of our population?

Please post your comments below.

For more on this story, go to 60% of FL Nursing Homes Still Without Backup Power

[Devnation]

Here we go again... Another tragedy waiting to happen. Clearly, the aftermath of Irma has taught nothing. This time, if any patients die as a result of power failure, they need to prosecute the owners and executives of these companies, not just the nurses. Also there should be an investigation into the numerous deadline extensions. Why are they being so careless with human lives?

[Nunya, BSN]

I've read that some places say because they're older buildings more work has to be done and they haven't been able to do it. I think it's because they don't want to spend the money. As my Dad was in a couple rehab places, assisted living and finally a nursing home I know how much families pay and what kind of staff they have (mostly LPNs and aides). There's no reason they can't afford it, they just don't want to. And unless someone brings a class action suit next time this happens it'll continue, because it's cheaper to pay families off than to do the right thing in the first place.

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

A few of us were just talking about this at work yesterday. We had an evacuation a year ago that wasn't weather related and boy that was no fun. We had another local LTC facility that was big enough to accommodate all our residents so we at least had a building to evacuate to.

What do facilities do in a wide evacuation zone? We really couldn't figure out how they would even manage. Where do they even go when it's clear they need to leave? How do they transport that many fragile elderly people especially when there is nowhere close by to go? If there is no place to go how do they keep people as safe as possible if they need to shelter in place? I'll never forget those images of elderly nursing home residents sitting in wheelchairs with water up to their waist. Shameful, but what would their options to leave before the storm hit have been? I don't live in an area where weather related evacuations happen so we truly couldn't figure out how a LTC facility would even manage.