In testimony to the House Select Committee on Hurricane Preparedness, Florida Health Care Association (FHCA) chief lobbyist Bob Asztalos urged lawmakers to look beyond issues related to emergency generators as they consider legislation dealing with nursing home procedures in disasters.
Asztalos told legislators FHCA is committed to implementing the governor’s mandate that nursing homes and assisted living facilities have generator capacity to keep their residents cool and safe during a disaster. He offered a set of recommendations that would strengthen the emergency procedures in nursing centers and ALFs and help them meet the Governor’s goal in a careful, timely manner that ensures the work is done correctly and safely.
In his remarks to the committee, Asztalos vowed, “We stand ready to work together with the Legislature, agencies and the Governor’s office to get this right.” His other comments included:
Complex Needs
“The debate must extend beyond generators and fuel. Nursing homes care for residents whose medical needs are extremely complex – many depend on ventilators, oxygen, dialysis and other life sustaining mechanical support. … We don’t understand how power restoration is prioritized in the state. I ask that the Legislature formalize the system for determining power restoration, and that priority restoration be given to our centers. “
Evacuations
“We found a disconnect between the local emergency management personnel and the long term care providers. Nursing homes seek to harden in place, and evacuation is a very last resort. The local emergency managers want to evacuate people quickly because they have a much bigger scope than just our facilities. I believe we need to foster open dialogue between the two groups to better coordinate when nursing homes should be evacuated.”
Special Needs Shelters
“Nursing home residents cannot just be loaded on a bus and dropped off at a shelter. They are too frail, many are in wheelchairs and they must travel with their medications, records, staff, and other life-sustaining equipment. If a bus pulls up to a shelter and the seniors on it walk off, they are not from a nursing home. The reality is that, during storms, nursing homes are called upon to take occupants from special need shelters when they are full or when the county is trying to close them after the storm. I believe this process can be better formalized.”
Generators
Senator Lauren Book Files Legislation to Require Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities to Have Working Generators
Changes proposed in Irma’s wake to protect Florida’s most vulnerable
State Senator Lauren Book (D-Plantation) today filed legislation (SB 284) that would require nursing homes and assisted living facilities to have working generators. The proposed bill is response to the deaths of eight elderly residents at the Rehabilitation Facility of Hollywood Hills, following air conditioner failure within the facility in Hurricane Irma’s wake.
“There is no excuse for failing to protect those most vulnerable among us,” says Sen. Book, who co-signed a letter to Governor Scott requesting the Florida Department of Law Enforcement open a formal investigation into the tragedy. “The loss of eight lives at Hollywood Hills was completely preventable, and that is what is so heartbreaking about this situation. One of the residents who perished lived to be 99 years old – but because of air conditioning failure and human negligence in the days following a storm, this very special life was lost. We can prevent these things – which never should have happened in the first place – from happening again…and we must, for the sake of our senior citizens and their families.”
If passed, the legislation would add electricity and emergency power sources to unannounced inspections of nursing homes and assisted living facilities, as well as require equipment sufficient to provide adequate day-to-day electricity, a fully operational emergency power source, and a supply of fuel sufficient to sustain the emergency power source for at least five days during a power outage.
The Rehabilitation Facility of Hollywood Hills air conditioning malfunctioned on Sunday and elderly residents had to endure oppressive conditions for three days before an evacuation was conducted.
Sen. Book intends to continue to fight for the health and rights of all citizens – especially senior citizens in the state of Florida, making senior wellbeing a special focus during her term.
“This is just the beginning of a set of essential and long overdue reforms needed to help ensure Florida’s seniors are being cared for in the way we would wish for our own parents, or grandparents,” Sen. Book concludes.
