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FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S DESK


Sister Communities, National Guard And More Help in Tornado Recovery


By Amber Patton, ED, CDAL, CDP P


reparedness is a word we focus on in senior living. This one word keeps us up at night.


We prepare for sickness, staffing shortag-


es, natural disasters, and fires. We compile vulnerability assessments, emergency pre- paredness plans, and lists upon lists, never imagining that we would ever utilize them. In our small 42-apartment community in


Mayfield, Ky., all our preparedness was put to the test, when four tornadoes came through our small town, two touching down just feet from our community. All four were rated EF4 on the Enhanced Fujita scale—meaning “dev- astating damage.” The scale only goes to EF5. The tornadoes missed our community,


but the damage to our town was so horrific that it warranted an evacuation. Our seniors were without water and power for 11 days. We are thankful that a Phoenix Senior Living sister community is just 20 miles from us and has the space to accommodate our residents. Some of our residents chose to stay


with loved ones who weren’t affected by the tornadoes, but most decided to evacuate. With flashlights in hand, we packed their belongings and headed to our sister com- munity, The Neighborhood at Paducah, an assisted living and memory care community in Paducah, Ky.


The aftereffects linger The emotional toll the tornadoes and evac- uation took on our associates, residents, and families lingers. It seems that while we can prepare for people’s physical needs, their mental and emotional needs are sometimes difficult to meet. I’ve seen people affected so differently by


this disaster. Some associates and residents worried for days about the safety of their family members whom they were unable to reach. Some associates lost their homes and vehicles. Some residents mourn the loss of a town they’ve known and loved for more than 100 years.


We could antici-


pate, but not fully un- derstand, the scope of the worry and stress until we were in the middle of it. But the overwhelming sup- port from so many people drowned out the anxiety and fear and gave us a sense of hope. We utilized resourc-


Amber Patton, CDAL, CDP Senior executive director The Bungalows at Mayfield A Phoenix Senior Living Community


es from a local disas- ter preparedness coalition and the National Guard. Local skilled nursing facilities donat- ed beds, and churches donated volunteers, furniture, and food. We saw an outpouring of support from the people of Mayfield and Paducah.


“Family” support Even though we were able to provide safety, our residents received so much encourage- ment, companionship, and assistance from the community at large. The Neighborhood at Paducah and The


Bungalows at Mayfield communities are new to Phoenix Senior Living; Phoenix started to manage them in September 2021. Throughout learning new policies and new computer systems and understanding the new leadership and dynamics within the company’s culture, one fantastic thing that these tornadoes taught us about the company is that we are all family. Phoenix took care of us and showed up


A series of tornadoes in Mayfield, Ky., in December, 2021, proved damaging and deadly—but senior living communities rallied. Photo credit: National Weather Service


when we were in need. Several communi- ties reached out. One in Alabama sent all our residents Christmas cards. Another, in Georgia, sent plastic totes and work gloves so tornado victims could dig through rubble


MAY/JUNE 2022 ARGENTUM.ORG 43


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