Next nursing home reform target: Emergency preparedness?
By
Kimberly Marselas
Sep 02, 2022
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services may soon intensify its reform agenda focus on emergency planning, one of many areas targeted in President Biden’s 21-point nursing home plan unveiled earlier...
Calming fears of floods and other catastrophes
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Aug 29, 2017
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....
Conducting and documenting meaningful fire drills in LTC facilities
By
Stan Szpytek
Apr 16, 2024
From some of our earliest memories in elementary school as little kids, we all recall participating in fire drills on a periodic basis. Of course, the purpose of those fire drills was to train students,...
Natural gas leak near facility highlights the importance of planning
By
Stan Szpytek
Jul 14, 2021
Incidents like the one that is about to be summarized emphasize the importance of hazard analysis as required by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services Emergency Preparedness Rule. Knowing the potential...
Exercising and evaluating CMS emergency preparedness plans
By
Terry Zysk
Nov 02, 2018
You can’t painstakingly document and evaluate during an exercise or emergency, but detailed and comprehensive event logs can provide a great deal of information for evaluation.
Hurricane evacuation plaintiffs settle for $12M — and chance to sue nursing home operator again
By
John Hall
Aug 26, 2022
Aggrieved residents and families involved in botched evacuations around Hurricane Ida last year have reached a tentative settlement of $12 million to $15 million with embattled nursing home owner Bob Dean...
Report: Emergency-planning efforts for frail elderly need greater emphasis
May 19, 2009
Future emergency planning efforts must take into account shifting demographics, particularly the growing number of frail elderly people, according to a new report.
HHS awards $352 million to providers for disaster preparedness
Jul 06, 2011
The Department of Health and Human Services announced last week that it is awarding $352 million in grant money to help healthcare providers improve disaster preparedness efforts.