Nursing homes
KFF Health News finds 100 nursing homes at serious flood risk after Minnesota evacuation
A KFF Health News analysis identified 100 U.S. nursing homes where a big storm could bring 2 feet of water or more, after a Minnesota home had to wheel 36 residents through floodwater in September.
Key facts
- KFF Health News reported on September 30 that staff at the New Richland Care Center in southern Minnesota moved 36 residents out on September 19 as floodwater came in, pushing wheelchairs through water to waiting buses.
- The last three residents were wheeled out on hospital beds.
- The administrator said at least 2½ feet of water flowed down the hallways, and the home is now shut.
What happened
KFF Health News reported on September 30 that staff at the New Richland Care Center in southern Minnesota moved 36 residents out on September 19 as floodwater came in, pushing wheelchairs through water to waiting buses. The last three residents were wheeled out on hospital beds. The administrator said at least 2½ feet of water flowed down the hallways, and the home is now shut. It has flooded three times in 16 years.
A KFF Health News analysis of flood hazard mapping from Fathom, a U.K.-based flood simulation company, found 100 U.S. nursing homes face some of the nation's worst flood risk, where at least 2 feet of water during a big storm could endanger residents. Fathom's estimates are generally seen as more modern than FEMA flood maps, which are often out of date.
What it means for families
Evacuating people who cannot walk is slow and risky. Every nursing home must have an emergency plan, and families have a right to know where their relative would go and how they would be told.
For example: if your father's home is near a river or low ground, ask where residents went the last time there was a storm warning, and how families were contacted.
What this means in New York: New York nursing homes must also have emergency plans. If your relative's home is near water, ask about its flood plan specifically.
Quick answers
How many nursing homes face serious flood risk?
A KFF Health News analysis of flood hazard mapping from Fathom, a U.K.-based flood simulation company, found 100 U.S. nursing homes face some of the nation's worst flood risk, where at least 2 feet of water during a big storm could endanger residents. Fathom's estimates are generally seen as more modern than FEMA flood maps, which are often out of date.
What to do this week
- Ask your relative's nursing home for a copy or summary of its emergency evacuation plan.
- Make sure the home has your current phone number and a backup contact.
- Ask where residents would be moved in a flood and how medications and records go with them.
Sources
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