Establishing and Refining Hurricane Response Systems for Long-Term Care Facilities

In February 2006, the John A. Hartford Foundation funded a long-term care “Hurricane Summit,” sponsored by the Florida Health Care Association. Summit participants included representatives from five Gulf Coast states that sustained hurricane damage during 2005, along with representatives from Georgia, which was a receiving state for hurricane evacuees. Participants evaluated disaster preparedness, response, and recovery for long-term care provider networks and identified gaps that impeded safe resident evacuation and disaster response. Specific areas warranting further attention are presented as lessons learned.