Back in 2017, Hurricane Irma caused catastrophic flooding and power outages in Southern Florida. As a result of this, some senior citizens lost their lives because of heat related complications when the power in their senior care facilities went out. Because of this, Florida soon passed a law mandating that all care facilities in the state have backup power sources in order to prevent something so horrendous from happening again. The goal was to make all seniors in the state as safe as possible. It seemed like a simple step to keep the elderly a little bit safer and healthier.
Even though it’s been two years since Irma, Florida still has a long way to go. Even though there is a $1,000 fine per day that a permanent backup generator is not installed, very few facilities actually had to pay a fine for not having this installed. Although there were many homes that did not have the proper setup–about 1,000, according to one report–very few faced any sort of consequences. Because the state provided homes with extensions and hardship delays, many homes have made little or no progress.
This only hurts the seniors that are living in Florida. They are put in a precarious position because the facilities that they live in do not have the proper safety net to keep them in place. They are at the mercy of other people, but those others have not taken every precaution to keep them safe.
We all have a lot to learn from what’s going on in Florida. There are always things that we can do to help our loved ones be safer. Maybe the things that we can do are not as serious as what is needed in Florida, but there are always things that can be done to help improve the quality of life of those we love. That might be something simple like making sure that your loved one is taking their prescribed medications how and when they are supposed to.
Even if power outages and extreme heat are not concerns when it comes to the health of your elderly loved ones, there are other things that need to be considered. Access to medical care, proper diet, strict medication management, bathing, exercise, and more are all components of senior care that can be overlooked with ease. Having a professional caregiver on your side that is willing to look at these things and ensure that all of the details are attended to can be a good way to get started here.
Not all seniors have the same needs. Assisted living facilities and nursing homes, which are impacted by the law mentioned above, are not the only place where seniors receive help. More and more, seniors are staying in their homes with the help of an in-home caregiver. If you do decide to work with an in-home service, be sure that they are helping to make things as ideal in the home for your loved one as possible. All seniors deserve to be safe.
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