Demand for long-term care is rising in California, but some say the laws governing emergency preparedness are inadequate, according to an article on the KQED website. Plus, the pandemic is complicating urgent disaster planning even further.

California regulates around 10,000 long-term care facilities and wildfire is a significant hazard at about a third of these facilities, according to the article.

State and federal laws demand that long-term care facilities plan and train to keep residents safe in a disaster. Evacuations themselves may be riskier than sheltering in place.

These facilities are licensed by the California Department of Public Health. Because they accept Medicare patients, they’re subject to more demanding federal regulations. Healthcare facilities experienced an unprecedented level of care as a result of the California wildfires and Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s planned blackouts, according to an article on the Sacramento Bee website.

Read the full KQED article.