Can Nursing Homes Social Distance If The Power Goes Off During A Hurricane?

All of Florida’s 693 nursing homes and all but one of its 3,112 assisted-living facilities have generators to keep residents cool during a prolonged power outage caused by a hurricane, according to an article on the Tampa Bay Times website. 

But some facilities use less-powerful temporary generators, which may require moving residents into a single large space — increasing their risk of transmitting COVID-19.

So, while facilities meet the state’s minimum standard, these less-powerful generators may not  keep residents safe.

“During this pandemic, it’s dangerous to residents that you have people that are congregating in one large space in close quarters,” Brian Lee, national executive director of Families for Better Care, said in the article.

A busy storm season is a worry for many healthcare facilities still dealing with the pandemic, according to an article on the NOLA.com website. Some hospitals are stocking up on personal protective equipment and other supplies. Others are changing how they’ll manage non-essential staff and patients’ families. 

Read the full Tampa Bay Times article.