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....
New England nursing homes well-equipped for ice storm
Dec 16, 2008
More than four days after a massive ice storm devastated much of the Northeast, nursing homes have emerged from the disaster relatively unscathed.
Hurricane Gustav: Nursing home evacuations run smoothly this time
Sep 03, 2008
In stark contrast to three years ago, when the elderly, and nursing home residents in particular, were especially hard hit by Hurricane Katrina, authorities were reporting smooth evacuation processes took...
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.
‘More must be done’ by providers for emergency prep: Senate report
By
Kimberly Marselas
Feb 24, 2023
Massive power failures and widespread evacuations caused by severe weather should be taken as a “warning sign” that US nursing homes remain unprepared for emergencies and the coming effects of climate...
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...
Nursing home win: Florida judge nixes governor’s emergency generator rule
By
Oct 30, 2017
Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s (R) emergency mandates for generators in nursing homes and assisted living facilities was shut down Friday by an administrative law judge, who slammed the rules as “invalid...
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...
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...
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.”