As you look at assisted living or nursing
residences for an older person, you obviously plan to ask about
rates, rooms, and activities. You want to be sure the food is good
and the other residents look happy. These are all on every list of
"Questions To Ask And Things To Look Out For."
After you've gotten the answers to these obvious questions, how
about "What happens if the roof blows off?"
It may sound ludicrous, until you're living in a nursing home in
Louisiana and there's a hurricane. Or if you're in a multi-floor
assisted living residence and there's a fire that shuts down the
elevators. Or if there's a tornado, a flood, or a week-long loss
of electricity in a heat wave or a bitter cold spell.
Important Questions To Ask About Emergencies
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If the building must be
evacuated, where will the residents go? Frail elderly people
cannot stand in a parking lot for hours on a freezing cold
night, a 100 degree day, or when it is pouring rain. |
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If the building is multi-level
and the elevators are shut down, how are physically impaired
residents quickly and safely brought down the stairs? |
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If residents have to leave the
building, how does the staff insure that no resident wanders
away while caregivers are helping other residents? |
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How long will the emergency
backup system provide power, and to what parts of the
facility? |
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How will residents who need it
be provided with oxygen if the concentrators in their rooms
are not working? How much emergency oxygen is available in
portable cylinders? Are the residents responsible for
maintaining their own backup oxygen, or does the facility
maintain an inventory? How much? |
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If there is time to prepare
for an evacuation, such as when a hurricane is expected, how
and to where will residents be moved? |
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What permanent identification
will evacuated residents wear? |
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How will the facility insure
that medications and medical charts stay with the residents? |
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Will a trained employee ride
on every vehicle with residents if they are being relocated? |
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Will food and water be
available on each vehicle for residents who are being moved? |
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How will families be notified
about evacuations? |
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In addition to routine fire
drills what emergency training does the facility staff
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Evaluating The Answers
It is best to ask these questions of the facility administrator
rather than the marketing representative, who may not have full
knowledge of emergency procedures.
Confirm what the administrator has told you with several aides on
different shifts. They should all have basically the same answers
to your questions. If their answers don't agree, re-visit your
questions with the administrator before making your final
decision.
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