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Elder Care News and Information
More Efforts this Year to Protect Elderly in Nursing
Homes from Disasters
Educational program for long-term care providers
developed by non-profit
 June 22, 2006 Few, especially senior citizens,
will forget last year's nightmare of
St. Ritas Nursing Home, where the owners were charged with 34 counts of
negligent homicide, following the destruction by the floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina. That horror is spurring
action this year to better protect older Americans living in long-term
care communities. Earlier this month, for example, long-term care
providers in St. Petersburg, Florida, took part in PREPARE - a new
educational training program designed to protect seniors in long-term
care facilities from disasters such as hurricanes, pandemics,
bioterrorism and other disasters.
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Related Stories |
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Aging Committee Tries Again at Learning How to
Protect Seniors in Disasters
Homeland Security
official outlines major issues faced after Katrina
May 19, 2006 Yesterday, the Senate Special
Committee on Aging held it's second hearing pertaining to questions of
safety for senior citizens during natural disasters, like Hurricane
Katrina. The committee heard from five witnesses, including Dan
Sutherland of Homeland Security, who discussed the major problems for
older Americans hit by Katrina.
Read
more...
Senate Seeks Plan to Evacuate Elderly in Disaster
Hearing by Senate Special Committee on Aging
By Susan Logue, Voice of America, Washington
Oct. 12, 2005 - More than a dozen nursing homes in
Louisiana are being investigated for their treatment of patients during
Hurricane Katrina. Dozens died, abandoned in the storm. Calling the abandonment of the elderly "the most
disgraceful" tragedy to occur as a result of Katrina, Republican Senator
Gordon Smith called a hearing of the Special Committee on Aging to
prevent it from happening again.
Read more...
Read more
ElderCare News |
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In the wake of last years deadly hurricanes and
the fear of the potential of the deadly Avian flu, more and more elderly
care communities are taking a more aggressive approach to protecting
older Americans, who were too often helpless victims last year. The
statistics bear out these concerns.
According to the Louisiana Department of Health,
more than 60 percent of the victims of Katrina were 62 years and older,
and the majority of the bodies found after the storm were discovered
near nursing homes or hospitals.
A recent report released by the GAO entitled
Disaster Preparedness: Preliminary Observations on the Evacuation of
Hospitals and Nursing Homes Due to Hurricanes showed a clear lack of
preparation by long-term care communities and assistance by the
government.
 Painting a bleak picture, the report stressed that
the current plans in place are not set up to assist evacuation of
long-term care communities.
Worse, a recent national survey by the Mather
LifeWays Institute on Aging found that 9 out of 10 long-term care
communities are ill-prepared to deal with public health emergencies and
many of the organizations that had developed a disaster plan didnt
realize they actually had one.
The Senate's Special Committee on Aging has held
two hearings seeking new ideas on how to protect seniors better in
disasters. (See sidebar.)
The PREPARE program, which was developed by the
Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging with the help of a 3-year grant
awarded by the Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources
and Services Administration (HRSA), trains all levels of staff for
senior care facilities including skilled care nursing centers,
retirement communities, assisted living centers and home healthcare
agencies. The training focuses on:
● Understanding the effects of man-made and
natural disasters on the elderly
● Demonstrating leadership skills during and after emergencies
● Activating community partnerships and backup strategies in the
aftermath of a disaster
● Developing an effective disaster plan and understanding it
● Maintaining order by practicing the plan through disaster exercises
and drills
● Involving families in disaster planning so they understand what they
should be doing as well
While the program is relatively new, long-term care
community professionals who have taken it have praised its
effectiveness, the company says.
About Mather LifeWays
Mather LifeWays is a not-for-profit organization
based in Evanston, Illinois, that says, "We're dedicated to identifying,
implementing, and sharing the best practices for wellness, workforce
issues, memory care programs, and caregiver empowerment."
A statement on the organization's Website says, "A
vital part our approach is comprised within the Mather LifeWays
Institute on Aging. The Institute's award-winning research provides
important information that guides the operations, options, and
opportunities of our residences, as well as our innovative neighborhood
programs and services for older adults.
"We've spent more than 60 years learning about how
to make the adventure of aging better. We've listened to people in our
residences and in the community. We've conducted extensive research and
developed award-winning programs. We create
Ways to Age Well."
Link: >>
Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging
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