December 11, 2024
Living in Florida, PALTtalk podcast host Diane Sanders-Cepeda, DO, CMD, thinks about disaster and emergency preparedness pretty much “all the time.” In a world in which hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, and other weather-related disasters, not to mention workplace violence and armed intruders, are more common than ever, preparedness continues to take center stage for PALTC practitioners, who are concerned about protecting their residents and staff, their families, their facilities, and their homes and communities. In a recent podcast, Dr. Sanders-Cepeda talked with Calvin Groeneweg, RN, C-AL, CPASRM, vice president of risk management at Sequoia Living, about this important subject.
Among the insights from Mr. Groeneweg:
- First and foremost, facilities—regardless of size—should be doing a Hazard Vulnerability Assessment (HVA) to determine the potential risks and perils that they may face and then start trying to mitigate those as much as possible. This assessment will help identify disasters to which a facility is prone. However, it is important to plan for unexpected things. For instance, you may think that your facility isn’t prone to wildfires or that a car won’t ever crash into your building, but these things can and do happen. It is important to have an emergency management plan that will be useful in any situation.
- Awareness of your surroundings and environment is an important part of an HVA. For instance, are there trees on the property that could fall and hit the building in a hurricane? Is your facility on a major road where there is significant traffic? Where are the power lines and light poles? Where are nearby bodies of water, and do they present a flood risk? Are your buildings located near railroad tracks? “Look at your campus and determine what things you need to do to make it safer for your residents and staff,” said Mr. Groeneweg. Even if generators aren’t required, he suggested that these are an investment worth making, especially if your facility is multi-level and getting residents from upper floors will be an issue. He noted that a few years ago, Texas faced significant winter storms, and some areas were out of power for 13 days or more. A generator will be essential in such situations.
- There is safety in numbers, so partnerships will be key during a disaster. Having strong relationships with local government, utility companies, emergency response teams, and departments of health will help promote effective preparation, response, and recovery. Practitioners and other team leaders should get involved with their state and national professional associations for guidance, tools, and resources on emergency preparedness. As Mr. Groeneweg noted, “We’ve got to be prepared to not only house the people in our buildings but possibly take in some outsiders and provide them with food and shelter.”
- Knowing your residents will help you understand what kinds of services and supports you’ll need to provide in a disaster or emergency. For instance, you need to know how many residents are mobile and who will need a wheelchair or other assistance.
- Prepare for emergencies such as armed intruders or active shooters. “I would really recommend training staff and practice, practice, practice,” offered Mr. Groeneweg. “If you train staff all the time and practice, it becomes second nature for staff, and that’s important.” He further recommended that facilities have code words and phrases. For instance, “Tomorrow is Pizza Day” could alert staff that there is a lockdown situation.
You never know what will happen, but you have to be prepared to handle both the expected and unexpected, Mr. Groeneweg suggested. He further observed, “It’s really important to train staff repeatedly so they know how to handle various situations. It’s not a matter of if they will face something; it’s a matter of when.”