By now it’s likely that you, your staff, the residents and their families have seen the incredibly disturbing photo of assisted living residents in Dickinson, TX, sitting in waist-high floodwaters....
Organizational issues to consider in disaster planning
By
Betty Norman
Mar 01, 2013
Just as Hurricane Katrina prompted discussion about emergency preparedness in 2005, Superstorm Sandy has re-ignited talks in the senior living communities about their ability to respond to disasters. When...
Disaster communication: A tale of two mothers-in-law
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Sep 26, 2017
Both of my mothers-in-law live in long-term care communities in Florida. One lives in a place that was excellent about how they communicated with family members before, during and after Hurricane Irma....
Preparing for a hurricane
By
Bruce Baron
Jul 25, 2014
For providers, Hurricane Arthur was a reminder to take another look at your emergency preparedness to ensure your plan is up-to-date and effective.
What’s needed in emergency preparedness
By
Mary Helen McSweeney-Feld
Feb 28, 2014
Emergency preparedness is an evolving issue for long-term care providers. While a recent study by the Office of the Inspector General found that most nursing homes nationwide met federal requirements for...
Fire, rain and the elephant on the 40th floor
By
John O'Connor
Nov 27, 2017
You never know when freak storms or unexpected fires might strike. But you can be sure that if and when one does, angry people will line up to demand that you be held more accountable.
Provider gives perfect response to Hurricane Harvey evacuation critics … and then gets taken to...
By
James M. Berklan
Sep 14, 2017
Late last week, I latched onto what I thought — and still think — is a great example of how a provider should respond to a bad public relations incident. We’re talking standing up to critics...
4 considerations for building your emergency preparedness plan
By
Diane Doherty
Jan 09, 2018
From Hurricanes Irma and Harvey to the California wildfires, there has been no shortage of extreme weather around the country.
Emergency preparedness: More than an act of paperwork
Jul 31, 2017
My phone rang and the voice said, “We are activating our incident command center.” I asked, “Is this a drill?” The voice in a solid tone replied, “This is not a drill.”
Getting ready for the unthinkable
By
Richard Cheng
Mar 12, 2014
Natural disasters and catastrophic events by definition arise unpredictably and consequently do not remain even in the back of people’s minds on a consistent basis.