Planning and Response

Title Description Topics
Establishing And Refining Hurricane Response Systems For Long-Term Care Facilities This article published in the journal Health Affairs reviews the findings and outcomes of the 2006 Hurricane Summit, funded by the John A. Hartford Foundation and the Florida Health Care Association. Summit participants included representatives from five Gulf Coast states that sustained hurricane damage during 2005, along with representatives from Georgia, which was a receiving state for hurricane evacuees. Participants evaluated disaster preparedness, response, and recovery for long term care provider networks and identified gaps that impeded safe resident evacuation and disaster response. The article identifies specific areas warranting further attention, presented as lessons learned. Evacuation Planning, Reports & Articles
Facility to Facility Memorandum of Understanding: Outline of Key Elements This document provides an outline to guide nursing home and assisted living facility providers in establishing Memorandums of Understanding with other providers in the event of resident transfer during a local or widespread emergency. Evacuation Planning, Sample Templates & Toolkits
Providing Shelter to Nursing Home Evacuees in Disasters: Lessons from Hurricane Katrina The authors examined nursing home preparedness needs by studying the experiences of nursing homes that sheltered evacuees from Hurricane Katrina. Interviews were conducted with nursing home administrators that sheltered evacuees in four states. Findings: Nursing homes should develop and practice procedures to shelter and provide long-term access to mental health services following a disaster. Nursing homes should be integrated into community disaster planning and be classified in an emergency priority category similar to hospitals. Evacuation Planning, Incident Response, Research
Comprehensive Care for Vulnerable Elderly Veterans During Disasters This study examines the experiences of evacuations and sheltering of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) nursing homes (VANHs) during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Interviews were conducted with nursing home staff and representatives, which revealed that physical harm, psychological distress, cognitive decline, and increased social isolation were areas that deserved special attention for this vulnerable population. Research
Ethical Guidance for Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response (A White Paper) This white paper was developed through the work of the Ethics Subcommittee of the Advisory Committee to the Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); the main focus is on the ethical orientation that should guide the planning and recovery phases. Reports & Articles
Emergency Operations Program and Plan Manual - California Association of Health Facilities This Emergency Operations Program and Plan (EOP) Template for Skilled Nursing Facilities is provided by the California Association of Health Facilities (CAHF). It was initially developed in 2015 and was revised in 2017 with funding from the California Dept. of Public Health Emergency Operations Program (Grant #15-10756) to incorporate new federal emergency preparedness regulations for Medicare/Medicaid certified providers released in 2016. It is offered as a base template from which a skilled nursing facility (SNF) can build a comprehensive EOP, and incorporates various positive practices in addition to regulatory requirements. Other facility types such as Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities, may find this template useful with some additional customization to reflect their unique populations, operations, and regulatory differences. Checklist, Evacuation Planning, Hazard Vulnerability Assessment, Sample Templates & Toolkits
Long Term Care Facilities Evacuation Tips - Minnesota Department of Health This resource is a link to the Minnesota Department of Health's page for healthcare emergency preparedness, including evacuation tips. Evacuation Planning
Caring for Vulnerable Elders During a Disaster: National Findings of the 2007 Nursing Home Hurricane Summit This report of the 2007 Nursing Home Hurricane Summit outlines the discussion and resulting recommendations of 65 delegates from coastal hurricane states, representing a diverse spectrum of stakeholders. Delegates included nursing home representatives, emergency management, public health, medicine, transportation, federal (CMS), energy, and others. Topics discussed: Nursing Home Disaster Plans; Evacuation Decision Making; Inter-agency Relationships (Coordination, Cooperation and Collaboration); Communication; Technology and Use of Data; Transportation; Regulatory Issues; Power Restoration; Training and Drills; and Ethical Concerns. The Summit was funded jointly by the John A. Hartford Foundation and the Florida Health Care Association as part of a two-year project. Recommendations & Guidance, Reports & Articles, Vulnerable Populations
Caring for Elders During Disasters Continuum of Care Model: A Guide for Community-Based Planning This guide is the product of an ASPR-funded project to develop a model, information and resources to guide and support local communities in their efforts to develop and sustain a continuum of care for elders during disasters. This document, along with the Step-by-Step Companion Toolkit available as a separate PDF, provide a comprehensive guide to communities for engaging elder care stakeholders in the preparedness, response, and recovery cycles of all-hazards disaster management. The guide includes links to additional resources, and is one of five resources in the Continuum of Care Model. Recommendations & Guidance, Reports & Articles, Sample Templates & Toolkits, Vulnerable Populations
Overview - Hazards Vulnerability Analysis This resource provides an overview of the purpose of a hazards vulnerability analysis and a general overview of the process. Hazard Vulnerability Assessment
Weathering the Storm: A Hurricane Planning, Response and Recovery Toolkit Although designed for hospitals, LTC providers may also find this toolkit informative. Developed by the New Jersey Hospital Association, the Hurricane Planning, Response and Recovery Toolkit is designed to assist hospitals in preparing for, responding to and recovering from the potential consequences of a hurricane. The toolkit focuses on sheltering-in-place planning and planning for recovery. It enhances current hospital all-hazards disaster plans and is not to be used in lieu of existing plans, but rather as a primer for a facility preparing for the specific challenges presented by a hurricane. Sample Templates & Toolkits
Help Your Employees Be Prepared - Personal Preparedness This is a link to the USA.gov page with many resources to help staff of LTC centers be more personally prepared when a disaster hits. Use these resources, plus tools from the American Red Cross, to help your staff be prepared. Training Resources
Webinar Recording - Continuity of Operations and Business Continuity Planning for Long Term Care Facilities This 45-minute webinar recording on Continuity of Operations Planning for Long Term Care is available on the website of the California Association of Health Facilities. Recommendations & Guidance, Training Resources
Continuity of Operations Plan Template for Long Term Care Facilities This template, written for long term care facilities by the California Association of Health Facilities, is designed to assist providers in developing an effective continuity of operations (COOP) plan for emergency scenarios that result in an interruption in services and/or operations. Long term care residents are very vulnerable and rely upon providers to be adequately prepared to safely care for them during emergency events. With appropriate emergency planning, facilities will be able to minimize the loss of life, property and revenue and ensure that essential functions are continued during and after an emergency. A COOP will guide facilities through actions needed to achieve a timely resumption of their normal operations. This COOP template is intended to be used in addition to your Emergency Operations Plan (also known as a Disaster Response or Preparedness Plan) or EOP. Checklist, Sample Templates & Toolkits
Disaster Preparedness Program Resources - California Association of Health Facilities This is a link to the website of the California Association of Health Facilities Disaster Preparedness Program, established in September 2006, with the help of the California Department of Public Health Services (CDPH) and with funding through the Federal Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP). The CAHF-DPP website provides information and tools to assist long-term care facilities determine effective and efficient ways for disaster planning and integration into their Emergency Management Program, where appropriate. The site offers updated information and tools compliant with the CMS Emergency Preparedness Rule (implementation date Nov 15, 2017). Checklist, Evacuation Planning, Hazard Vulnerability Assessment, Influenza, Preparedness Exercise, Recommendations & Guidance, Sample Templates & Toolkits, Training Resources