Oldest residents are more vulnerable during disasters so nursing homes and other facilities are required to have preparation plans in place, according to an article on the WSBT website.
Natural disasters often kill residents of nursing homes and other senior communities. The risks rise in a state like Florida, which has the highest proportion of people 65 and older of any state, one in five of its residents.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services gave the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills — where 11 residents died when the facility lost power during Hurricane Irma — a below-average rating, two stars out of five. But the most recent state inspection reports showed no deficiencies in its emergency plans.
Both federal and state laws require emergency plans for nursing homes and training for staff. A 2012 report from the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found the vast majority of nursing homes comply with that requirement, but that serious gaps persisted, the article said.
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