Senior Living and Emergency Preparedness

Posted by Donna Mae Scheib on December 11, 2017

Senior Living and Emergency Preparedness

Every day seems to bring new reports of disasters—hurricanes, flooding, wildfires, earthquakes, tornadoes and snowstorms are becoming almost commonplace. When a senior living facility has made no preparations for a potential emergency, the result can be dangerous, or even deadly.

If your elderly loved one happens to be in a senior living facility, it is extremely important that you know whether there are preparations in place for an unexpected emergency. Check with the senior living facility administration about the following:

• A proven emergency plan. Not only does there need to be an emergency plan in place, it is absolutely necessary that the plan is tested to ensure it is well-designed. Ask the staff at the senior living facility about their emergency plan. Hopefully you will receive a detailed, workable, emergency plan and not a blank look.

• Ask whether the facility has ever experienced an emergency. If the answer to this question is “yes,” find out how the staff responded to the emergency. Were preparations in place, and did the emergency plan work as expected?

• Determine whether the facility is adequately staffed. This is perhaps the most crucial component of an emergency plan. During an emergency, it is vitally important that there are plenty of staff members to care for the seniors, as well as sufficient transportation staff and vehicles if evacuation is necessary.

• Ask the facility staff about emergency supplies. Will there be plenty of food and water in the event of an emergency? Are there plenty of extra medications for every resident? Does the facility have backup generators and are checked regularly?

• Will you be able to communicate with your loved one in the event of an emergency? Ask staff about the lines of communication during an emergency, particularly regarding how the staff will update families during an emergency. Does the facility post to their website, call family members, update through social media? Whatever type of communication the facility uses during an emergency, it is important that you know what to expect.

• Does the facility have a clear emergency evacuation plan in place? You will want to know what the plan is and where your loved one is likely to be taken in the event of emergency.

• Will you be allowed to come to the facility during an emergency? Prior to Hurricane Sandy, some family members of residents came to the facility to spend the night on the evening before the storm was expected to hit. Find out if this is an option.

• Find out if your loved one’s facility coordinates with other resources in the event of an emergency. Hopefully, the facility will have contracts with local agencies and other businesses to provide transportation and/or housing for those who are displaced, and will coordinate their emergency plan with city, county and state emergency services.

• How are residents identified in the event of an evacuation? The U.S. Department of Health and Human services requires all senior living communities to ensure every resident has an intact ID wristband to make tracking residents easier during an evacuation. Make sure your senior living community complies with this rule.

• Does the facility have the ability to safeguard and transport medical information should an evacuation become necessary? This is crucial in the event of an evacuation. The medical information of the elderly residents can mean the difference between life and death. How are these records safeguarded in the event of an emergency, and how will the records be transported in the event of an evacuation?

One of the most haunting images to arise out of recent natural disasters was the photograph of seniors sitting in waist-deep water during Hurricane Harvey. Hurricane Harvey struck before stricter federal emergency planning requirements for nursing facilities kicked in. These facilities are now required to have emergency plans and procedures in place, and it is your job to ensure the facility your loved one resides in abides by those requirements.

Find a Senior Living Community Near You

When you are looking for a senior living community, it is important to think about emergency situations. Find the perfect senior living community for your loved one near you on Senior Living Link. Our online assisted living community directory features facilities nationwide that offer an array of services, including health care programs, housekeeping, meals, medication administration, and more. Start your search today and contact Senior Living Link to learn more!