More than four days after a massive ice storm devastated much of the Northeast, nursing homes have emerged from the disaster relatively unscathed.

In stark contrast to three years ago, when the elderly, and nursing home residents in particular, were especially hard hit by Hurricane Katrina, authorities were reporting smooth evacuation processes took thousands of elderly out of harm's way.

An apparently unconscious age bias among emergency room services personnel, along with a lack of knowledge on how to care for the elderly, could be leading to a distinct lessening of care for seniors, researchers say.

Fewer than a quarter (23%) of all nursing homes have a plan for dealing with a massive flu outbreak, according to a new study. About 25% had a pandemic response as part of a broader overall disaster plan.