DISASTER MANAGEMENT
come with an outrageous price tag; they can put your residents at risk. In addition to finding reputable companies, you need to find out how they will work with your insurance company and what repairs and restoration efforts will be covered.
• Local Government. Identify local officials you may need a con- nection with during a disaster. This might include the mayor, city council representatives, head of waste management, state and federal legislators, and others. If your county or munici- pality has an emergency management director, this will be an important contact. This individual and their office can help with training and disaster management exercises and ways to ensure a successful, coordinated response to an emergency.
• Practitioners. Kevin O’Neil, MD, chief medical officer of ALG Senior, said that his organization has a certified provider net- work. “We have regular meetings with them and we review data and quality goals.” They also set a transitions of care workgroup with these providers, and this will help ensure smooth transitions if residents must be hospitalized or move to another setting be- fore, during, or after a disaster.
Making these connections takes time and effort, but the return on
investment can be significant. “When I came here, I knew I didn’t have expertise to do this on my own. I needed a network,” Wicker said. He reached out and started going to area Health Care Alliance meetings and joined a local disaster management council. He went to hospitals and met with emergency management personnel there, and he took every opportunity to get to know the key players who he might need to connect with during a disaster. “Fast forward five years, and I have a group of people in my contact list I know and can contact at any given time,” he said. Wicker urges every community to make and maintain these types
of connections. “When your name and face are recognizable, peo- ple are more likely to help and to respond quickly when you reach out.” Szpytek agrees. He said, “The last thing you want to do is exchange business cards during a crisis. Establishing relationships in advance is essential and commonsense.” Rainer noted, “I have never had someone tell me no when I asked for
help in these situations. People want to provide support and assistance if they can.” If you plan and establish relationships before there is an issue, these ‘asks’ will be easier, as you will know precisely who to direct each specific request to.
Families as Partners While it is common to involve family members in medical care and decisions, community leaders often don’t think about engaging them in disaster management. Families may have skills, capabilities, and resources that are in-
valuable during or after a disaster. For instance, a resident’s chil- dren might own a restaurant and could bring in food and related supplies. Others might have plumbing, electrician, or contractor companies or capabilities. Consider seeking this information when a resident moves in and/or holding regular family night events to address disaster planning and ask for volunteers. Keep a list with current contact information and each person’s capabilities or ex- pertise and update it at least annually.
18 SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE JULY/AUGUST 2023
This is a give and take relationship. While you may be asking
for families’ help, you can offer them a safe haven during disas- ters. Rainer said, “We serve as a shelter if needed for families of residents and staff.” They also set up a kindergarten and day care in some rooms for children of staff and resident family members. Rainer recalled, “We had a hurricane go through Florida several years ago and he went to check on one building. He encountered 42 residents, 40 family members, five dogs, and three cats. “We have to take care of each other,” he stressed. Don’t wait until a pending disaster to get to know families.
“We need to make this an ongoing priority. These individuals are important to our residents and our building.” It is essen- tial to include them in activities beyond emergency prepared- ness and have a relationship with them before there is a crisis. O’Neil observed, “Families are a key part of our team. I’ve always been impressed with the contributions they make and the volunteerism they offer.”
Training the Team “We’ve done a good job of training leadership on emergency management principles, but we have to do a better job of training staff,” said Szpytek. This is partly because leaders won’t be at the facility at 3 a.m. when there is a fire in the laundry room or on Sunday afternoon when a pipe bursts. “We focus on an all-hands- on-deck approach,” he said. This means involving CNAs, kitchen and housekeeping staff, and others and preparing them to be “big picture thinkers” during a disaster who can make quick decisions and identify and pursue priority objections. This training, Szpytek stressed, needs to be more than a couple
of videos. “It requires hands-on and classroom training, multime- dia and multidimensional education, and tabletop exercise and live drills,” he said, adding that in Arizona they do a drill on each shift once a quarter. It is important to make sure staff and residents alike understand
the importance of fire and other drills. “If you don’t let people know how these drills can keep them safe in a disaster, they may take them for granted and not give them their full attention,” said Karren Ganschinietz, a long-time CNA and member of the National Association of Health Care Assistants board of direc- tors. “Staff also need other information such as how to use a fire extinguisher, where the gas lines are, where the water shut-off valves are, and how to evacuate residents quickly if there is a fire or other emergency,” she said. Szpytek stressed, “We have to protect our careforce. They need
to be safe so they can be of assistance to others. They need to recognize the risks and perils and know how to respond accord- ingly.” O’Neil agreed, noting, “We have a great employee as- sistance program that includes mental health resources. We also have a relationship with a primary care group that offers mental health services.” He stressed that it is essential for staff to get help and relief if they are feeling stressed, anxious, or depressed when a disaster strikes.
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