After a dozen residents at a Hollywood nursing home died after Hurricane Irma knocked out power, the Florida Legislature passed rules requiring backup power for cooling for at least 96 hours at all of the state's 685 nursing homes and 3,101 assisted living facilities (ALFs).
But just days before the rules went into effect, only 48 nursing homes and 91 ALFs have reported they have installed equipment and had state site inspections, according to an article on the Miami Herald website.
The 567 facilities whose requests for extensions have been approved, while technically in "compliance," have up to Jan. 1, 2019, to meet the requirements of the rule.
That means many facilities may not have the mandated backup power for cooling for this hurricane season.
A 'Superbug' Is on the Rise in Hospitals
The Next Generation of Security Tech in Healthcare Facilities
Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of St. Petersburg Opens
Why More Facilities are Adding Gender Neutral Restrooms
Massachusetts Hospital Cyberattack Reflects Growing Vulnerability in Healthcare Systems