Highlights from the Left in the Dark report on the 2021 Texas Blackout.
2021 Texas Blackout Stats
- More than 570 nursing homes reported emergencies
- More than 100 nursing homes lost power
- More than 300 nursing homes lost access to potable water
- At least 1,400 residents from at least 80 nursing
- homes and assisted living facilities were evacuated
Disaster Impacts & Evacuations
In recent years, floods, tornadoes, wildfires, and artic blasts are among the extreme weather events that
have prompted evacuations of nursing homes and assisted living facilities…
As the National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine noted, “climate change poses a threat to facilities located in areas where severe weather events are becoming more common.”
Federal Regulations & Requirements
Federal regulations require nursing homes to maintain specific types of information in order to respond to disasters, such as procedures for evacuation, sheltering in place, tracking residents and staff during and after emergencies, and communicating with relevant authorities, medical personnel, and families.
Other requirements include having plans in place to secure and maintain the availability of records…
Nursing homes are required to…maintain primary and alternate means of communication, a way to communicate residents’ condition and location, and a way to share emergency plan information with residents and their family members.
SIMPLE TRACKING SYSTEM
A novel, inexpensive, and intuitive app for tracking assisted living residents and staff during and after an emergency evacuation.
- Meet CMS Emergency Preparedness requirements
- Integrate with pertinent resident medical information
- Automated alerts to emergency contacts and family members
- GPS location/timestamp
Assurance for family members and loved ones during and after emergencies and disasters
Left in the Dark: The impact of the 2021 Texas Blackout on Long-Term Care Residents and the Need to Improve Emergency Preparedness: An Investigation by the Majority Staffs of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee and U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging