RIHCA chair thankful for storm assistance

    Still, the preparation and ensuing inconvenience in my household was nothing compared to that of my ‘second home.’ It’s there that I care for 146 elderly and infirm Rhode Islanders as the administrator of Grand Islander Center, a skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility in Middletown. Thanks to a lot of hard work and help, the residents at Grand Islander came through unscathed, as did those at the other 84 nursing centers throughout Rhode Island. Many facilities lost power and some had to be evacuated, but overall, disaster was averted as staff and residents weathered the storm.
    Ensuring the safety and welfare of the state’s 9,000 nursing home residents doesn’t happen randomly, however. Today’s nursing homes now serve as mini-hospitals, and any break in operations could be potentially life threatening. I am a member of the American Health Care Association’s Emergency Preparedness Committee, which works to ensure the safety of nursing home residents nationwide in the event of a disaster. That role, along with serving as chair of the state’s largest trade association of skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers, provides for a direct flow of information to Rhode Island providers about disaster planning and related best practices. Rhode Island also has its own emergency plan in place so between those resources, nursing homes personnel were armed with information to help keep residents safe during the storm.
    Still, Irene pointed out that the acuity of today’s nursing home residents isn’t widely recognized, and some problems became apparent. The state classifies skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers as “residences,” prioritizing them alongside able-bodied citizens in terms of disaster response. Fortunately, no catastrophes happened during the storm but the evacuation of some nursing centers and the days-long reliance on generator power at some facilities made it obvious that the priority classification must be changed.
    As caregivers, part of our disaster planning efforts include debriefing after an event to reflect on what worked well and what needs improvement. Now a month after Irene, it’s clear that though disaster was averted, some processes could have been better. The Rhode Island Health Care Association will be addressing those issues with state policymakers to ensure even smoother operations during future events.
    Most of all though debriefing provides the chance to thank the many families, volunteers and staff who devoted their time and energy to ensure the safety of those less fortunate.  Our nursing homes simply couldn’t have gotten through the storm without those people, and we want them to know that we are truly grateful for their support.

    Joan M. Woods is chair of the Rhode Island Health Care Association (RIHCA), a nonprofit association comprised of about two-thirds of the state’s skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities. She is also executive administrator of the Genesis HealthCare Grand Islander Center in Middletown. She can be reached at (401) 849-7100 or joan.woods@genesishcc.com.