OIG: Nursing homes ill-prepared for disasters

Nursing homes are not prepared to handle disasters, such as hurricanes, floods and wild fires, as much as they should be, according to an Office of Inspector General report, released Friday. In site visits of 24 nursing homes that experienced these incidents between 2007 and 2010, OIG found most nursing homes nationwide met federal requirements for written emergency plans and preparedness training, but there were gaps in nursing home preparedness. The gaps include unreliable transportation contracts, lack of collaboration with local emergency management, residents who developed health problems, long-term care unable to support nursing home residents and no contact with residents after disasters.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, according to the OIG, should include specific requirements for emergency plans and training, update the state operations manual with detailed guidance for emergency plans and training and promote the use of the checklists. Announcement