OVAR-GEC Emergency Preparedness e-News

In 2003, the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) awarded the OVAR/GEC and five other GEC's curriculum development grants in Bioterrorism and Emergency Preparedness in Aging. The six GECs (Ohio Valley Appalachia Regional, St. Louis University / Gateway, Stanford, Texas Consortium and Western Reserve) have continued to develop resources in emergency preparedness for aging through HRSA and other funding sources.Click here for each GEC's web sites and initiatives.

Long Term Care Resources

PREPARE - The PREPARE training is available to the community through the KY Department of Public Health Emergency Preparedness Regional Coordinators. The PREPARE module is designed to enable a senior living or long-term care workforce to handle an emergency or disaster. PREPARE is a train-the-trainer program. You'll be able to assure residents and families that your community is ready to Meet the special needs of older adults in your care; Recognize, respond to, and mitigate both manmade and natural threats; and Take a coordinated approach to alert and involve local, state, and national agencies.
Mather Lifeways (2-day Continuing Education)

Other LTC resources

Caring for Vulnerable Elders During a Disaster

DHHS Nursing Home Emergency Preparedness & Response Hurricane

Emergency Preparedness Summit for Long Term Care Facilities (PowerPoint)

Emergency Operations Plan - Louisiana Model Nursing Home

Emergency Planning Guildline for Medical & Patient Care Facilities (Fairfax Co., VA)

Emergency Preparedness Checklist for Nursing Homes, Assisted Living Facilities, & Group Homes (Montgomery Co., MD)

Special Needs & Potential Roles of Nursing Homes in Public Health Emergencies (prepared for DHHS)

Lessons Learned - In the summer of 2006 a severe thunderstorm left a half-million people in St. Louis without electricity. This included the NHC Maryland Heights 200-bed nursing home. The facility's disaster plan was implemented immediately. Critical concerns were security of medicines, transportation of staff & supplies, elopement, care of half of residents on a gym floor, outside community use of their facility, and accurate time-keeping of staff. Maryland Heights was successful, in part due to their tailored Disaster Manual. Facility leaders also credit dedicated managers. Within 90 minutes, all managers were in the nursing home even though it was the evening. Managers worked long hours and helped staff and residents to maintain a positive attitude. Details of this story were published by the St. Louis University, Department of Medicine, Aging Successfully Newsletter. Read all about it.

University of Kentucky / University of Louisville Training Resources

Regional Trainings
In anticipation of a crisis situation where emergency response will be required for and by older adults as well as organizations serving them, these trainings will offer techniques, tools and resources to assist and support preparedness for all ranges of hazards. These include preparedness for older adults as well as organizational planning, communication, response and recovery by service providers across county lines. Discussions will be held with service providers (and older adults where applicable) to increase awareness of the needs and concerns of older adults in the region during an emergency. Further, organizations will have an opportunity to learn how to facilitate tabletop exercises to test their preparedness plans and measures (where available). Free CEs available.

Dates of Upcoming Trainings Across Kentucky:
Morehead, St. Clair Regional Hospital - January 15, 2008
Lexington, Summer Series on Aging - June 2008

BEtty to add three dates bowling green, louisville, owensboro

Spotlight - Meet LeAnn Seagraves Hospital Preparedness Prog, Coord. & Special Needs Coord, Kentucky Department for Public Health Public Health Preparedness Branch LeAnn.Seagraves@ky.gov

The Public Health Preparedness Branch manages two grant programs that deal directly with health &medical emergency preparedness. The programs are the CDC's Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) Cooperative Agreement & the HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness & Response - Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP).

The Kentucky Community Crisis Response Board (KCCRB) is the state lead disaster mental health coordinating agency providing assessments, crisis intervention, service collaboration, and system development following disasters. The KCCRB credentials and maintains a statewide network of trained professional volunteer responders and deploys rapid response teams to crisis sites. A 24-hour toll-free access phone number, (888)522-7228, is maintained to request a response. KCCRB Trainings