Nursing Home Self-assessment of Implementation of Emergency Preparedness Standards

The authors asked nursing homes in North Carolina and South Carolina to measure their preparedness using the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) emergency preparedness checklist. They found that progress had been made since the 2012 Inspector General report that looked at nursing home preparedness, but gaps still persisted, especially in evacuation standards; interfacing with emergency management officials; establishing back-up evacuation sites and evacuation routes; identification of resident care items; and obtaining copies of state and local emergency planning regulations.