2007 Hurricane Season Looms; Eight Southeastern States Join Together to Improve Emergency Planning and Response for the Elderly and Disabled
Hurricane Summit brings state, federal and local emergency planning teams together with nursing home leadership for the first time to improve how frail and elderly citizens are cared for during a major disaster.
St. Petersburg, FL (PRWEB) May 24, 2007 -- In an unprecedented cooperative effort, eight Southeastern states are working together to improve how frail and elderly citizens are cared for during a major disaster. Leadership from the state emergency command centers and long term care (LTC) organizations in Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, Georgia, Virginia, and North Carolina met this week to improve how LTC needs are incorporated into disaster planning. Federal level representatives from FEMA, CMS, and HHS also participated, along with representatives from the AARP.
"In a disaster, we must ensure that we care for our most vulnerable citizens first," said LuMarie Polvika West, of the Florida Healthcare Association, the hosts of the Hurricane Summit. "Integrating the needs of the elderly and disabled into regional emergency planning processes can save lives."
In the recent past, the elderly and disabled have often been the most negatively affected by the consequences of a major disaster. The CDC determined that the elderly accounted for only 15% for New Orlean's 2005 population, but 70 percent of the deaths from Hurricane Katrina. In addition, at least 139 storm-related fatalities were reported from nursing homes as a result of Katrina.
At the summit, The Florida Healthcare Association shared a new computer model that supports LTC administrators in developing emergency and evacuation plans for nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Both the summit and the computer template development were made possible by a grant from the John A. Hartford Foundation. The group also reviewed results of a transportation study and assessed the ongoing challenges of emergency transportation deficiencies, which include a lack of national or regional contracts with major bus companies.
"Caring for the elderly in a major disaster is a shared responsibility," said Amy Berman, Program Officer for the John A. Hartford Foundation. "Working together with federal, state and community leaders, we hope to improve coordination, cooperation and planning, before another disaster strikes."
Summit participants are available to provide feedback on the summit and the team's next steps in ensuring safety for the elderly.
About the John A. Hartford Foundation
Founded in 1929, the John A. Hartford Foundation is a committed champion of training, research and service system innovations that promote the health and independence of America 's older adults. Through its grantmaking, the Foundation seeks to strengthen the nation's capacity to provide effective, affordable care to this rapidly increasing older population by educating "aging-prepared" health professionals (physicians, nurses, social workers), and developing innovations that improve and better integrate health and supportive services. The Foundation was established by John A. Hartford. Mr. Hartford and his brother, George L. Hartford, both former chief executives of the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, left the bulk of their estates to the Foundation upon their deaths in the 1950s. Additional information is available at http://www.jhartfound.org.
The Florida Healthcare Association
The Florida Health Care Association is the state's first and largest advocate for long term care providers and the elderly they serve. FHCA represents over 1300 members and 776 facilities. More information is available at http://www.fhca.org.
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