Long-term care facilities are struggling to evacuate patients due to logistical hurdles, as Hurricane Helene is expected to make landfall on Thursday night.
Some Florida nursing homes, however, have successfully evacuated their residents and are following protocol, according Kristen Knapp, senior director of strategy and communications for the Florida Health Care Association.
“Our members have been working their plans in preparation for Helene all week. We’ve had between 20 to 30 facilities evacuate and have not heard issues with transfer agreements,” Knapp told Skilled Nursing News. “They’re working their plans and keeping the focus on the health and wellbeing of their residents and staff.”
Florida is home to over 600 licensed nursing homes, with over 84,000 beds and about 72,000 residents living these facilities.
The storm, described by the National Hurricane Center as potentially “catastrophic and deadly,” threatens to disrupt water and power supplies.
Here too, nursing homes seem to be faring well, at least for now.
“We’ve had tremendous support from our utility partners who have been on our daily 1 pm LTC Emergency Prep Partner Calls, which have averaged 400 providers participating for updates from those partners and our regulatory agencies,” Knapp said.
And given Helene’s rapid movement, many nursing homes are already working on their plans for re-entry after the storm passes tomorrow, she said.
Meanwhile, not all long-term care facilities are doing as well and struggling to transfer residents safely, Mary Mayhew, president and CEO of the Florida Hospital Association, told the Washington Post.
“Many patients depend on medical equipment and require specialized sheltering that can accommodate their needs,” she said.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 61 counties, allowing for expedited access to resources needed for response efforts. The declaration comes as health systems brace for possible flooding and other complications from the storm.
In response to the looming threat, smaller hospitals in Florida’s Panhandle have begun evacuations, with ambulances relocating patients to safer sister facilities. One health system was forced to evacuate because a city’s public water system failed, Mayhew said.
Smaller counties may be severely affected by the storm, but hospital systems in larger areas, like Tampa General Hospital, are better prepared. The hospital offers a variety of services to older patients in nursing homes.
Staffing and funding are among top issues that have posed problems for adequately preparing nursing homes for weather-related emergencies.
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