Florida — Most Florida nursing homes have now installed either permanent or temporary generators to comply with a new law, according to the head of Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration.
Secretary Mary Mayhew declared that 42% of the state’s nursing homes had permanent generators on site, while 38% had installed temporary units.
Many of the facilities with temporary generators were likely awaiting final state approval to ultimately be designated as the facility’s permanent generator, Mayhew said.
The remaining facilities were awaiting delivery of generators, except for two, which have plans to evacuate before a storm would hit.
“I think it’s clear after our last experience here, with this near miss [with Hurricane Dorian], that Florida has made tremendous progress in its emergency preparedness,” Mayhew said.
Emergency generators and access to backup power became a requirement for Florida providers under a new law following Hurricane Irma and the death of 12 nursing home residents in 2017.
Florida providers are being put on a short leash regarding the new law. Mayhew noted the state agency had issued more than 230 fines for noncompliance, a sign of increased regulator vigilance.
She said she is soliciting provider feedback about challenges, while urging remaining non-generator holders into compliance.
“I am reluctant to approve any variances beyond this year,” she added.
From the November 2019 Issue of McKnight's Long-Term Care News
