Nursing Homes and Health Departments Team Up to Strengthen Emergency Preparedness
Nursing Homes and Health Departments Team Up to Strengthen Emergency Preparedness
Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) are partnering with state public health organizations to develop and implement effective emergency preparedness plans, addressing long-standing challenges in disaster response. A recent report found that 77% of nursing homes in high-risk areas encountered difficulties during emergencies, highlighting gaps in infection prevention, evacuation procedures, and overall resilience.
Experts emphasize that while SNFs have learned valuable lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, continued vigilance is crucial. Ongoing training, collaboration, and preparedness exercises are essential to ensuring nursing homes can protect residents and staff during future crises.
“You want to be able to say to a surveyor who comes into your nursing home, ‘Here are our emergency preparedness plans and the exercises we’ve done with our team,’”
The key to successfully mitigating any emergency is preparedness. CHUG members have access to a comprehensive suite of educational workshops that utilize real-life case studies to teach effective responses to emergency situations. This training can be lifesaving.
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