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Across Indian Country, tribal nursing homes provide culturally sensitive long-term care environments where American Indian and Alaska Native elders can age with dignity and remain connected to their communities. Emergency planning is a crucial aspect of ensuring elders’ comfort and safety. Many tribal nursing homes developed emergency preparedness plans to protect their residents in case of a natural disaster or other emergency.
In November 2016, CMS implemented a regulation requiring health care facilities that participate in Medicare and Medicaid to create emergency preparedness plans. This regulation promotes appropriate planning to protect the safety and wellbeing of patients and staff in health care facilities, including nursing homes.
More information about the emergency preparedness rule is available on CMS.gov.
A comprehensive, well-rehearsed emergency plan helps ensure that nursing home staff conduct evacuations and other emergency protocols efficiently to protect the safety of everyone involved. Having a plan in place reassures nursing home residents and their loved ones that they will remain safe in the event of an emergency.
Many tribal nursing home emergency plans provide examples of culturally sensitive planning measures that other tribal facilities can emulate. This report describes the emergency preparedness approaches of five tribal nursing homes. It compiles emergency preparedness recommendations from nursing homes that have successfully created emergency plans and shares what has worked for these facilities, including leveraging partnerships, securing funding, and implementing staff training.