By By Dan Hounsell

As healthcare facilities in Texas recover from the recent widespread cold weather that left many assisted living communities and nursing homes without power and water, facility managers are now revisiting a range of emergency plans and preparations in light of the way events played out.

For example, one difference that stands out between assisted living communities and nursing homes after more than 106 Houston-area long-term care communities reported “emergency events” during the unusual winter storm: the state requires nursing homes to have backup power where life-support systems are used, but no state requirements exist for assisted living communities to have permanent generators on site, according to McKnight’s Senior Living. 

The storm forced evacuations at 33 long-term care facilities due to power losses. Thirty senior living communities had to relocate residents, and many reported that they did not have a generator or backup power.

Long-term care facilities in Texas must report transfers or evacuations of residents to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, which requires assisted living and other operators to implement emergency management plans in such cases.

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