Disasters are part and parcel of life for health services, including aged care. Planning for a better response to emergencies is a continuing priority in many states that were hit by bushfires, floods or storms.
Statewide preparation for 2011-12
During October and November 2011 the Victorian Department of Health conducted emergency management forums around country Victoria for the health and aged care sector in preparation for summer. They updated on fire, heat and flood planning emergency management initiatives, contacts with senior emergency management personnel, and shared information.
The CEO of Aged and Community Care Victoria (ACCV) Gerard Mansour says: “Over the last few years our members have needed to cope with both floods and bushfires.
“Two key messages from our members were to firstly ‘plan for the worst and hope for the best’ and secondly, in the planning for potential crisis situations, try to predict what could possibly go wrong – this will help aged care providers test their systems.
“We have to carefully work to find the right balance between localised emergency planning and state wide consistency in co-ordinating approaches,” Mansour says.
Queensland cyclones and floods
Tully Nursing Home is used to extreme weather and had prepared as well as they could for Cycone Yassi on February 2. Tully and surrounding communities had closed down and police and emergency services were on “non response” during the cyclone.
Tully DON Debbie Creagh reports that despite many staff opting or having to stay at home, sufficient staff were able to move residents to the safest part of the facility, food and emergency provisions were prepared to cope with loss of power and potable water was stored. They were ready for “lock down” with the goal of no injuries or fatalities.
Creagh described the full story of the preparation, planning then reality of the disaster to aged care gatherings. She said the balance of reassuring residents while insisting they do as directed was a “challenge”.
Yassi’s “eye” arrived at about 1.30am with trees tearing holes in the roof and blocking the driveway as well as flooding and loss of power. “Our disaster management plan continued but the lack of water for drinking, cooking and cleaning, especially linen was mounting. It took until Saturday, three days after the main hit, for external supplies, water and power to be supplied.
“We learnt from our experience but none of us wish to go through an experience like this one again. It is still a long road to recovery in the community.”
Aged Care Queensland (ACQ) reports that in all the cyclones, fires and flooding there were varying levels of support from local government and local and district disaster management groups. In some instances the level of support was high, in other instances service providers struggled to be recognised as a priority group for evacuation.
ACQ will partner with Volunteering Queensland to undertake a two-year Disaster Resilience project, pending funding through the Natural Disaster Resilience Fund. This project will be a key avenue to ensure aged care providers at a local level are capable of responding in any natural disaster and are able to maintain business continuity wherever possible.
ACQ aims to have fact sheets to guide providers in preparing, responding and recovering to natural disasters finalised by December 2011.
Queensland Flood Commission Interim Report
ACQ made a submission to the Queensland Flood Commission of Inquiry and was pleased with the recommendations encouraging councils to identify aged care facilities and organisations that provide home care services to people in the community.
Other recommendations were to consider the facilities’ specific evacuation needs, work with these facilities/organisations to ensure they have appropriate evacuation plans and ensure they are aware of the councils’ disaster management arrangements.
The commission’s recommendations reinforce the responsibility of those providing accommodation for older people to have appropriate evacuation arrangements and work with other organisations where necessary. ACQ advises that further hearings with the commission are occurring in the next few months and it encourages aged care providers in these regions to participate.
ACQ has provided input into the inclusion of aged care providers in the Queensland Evacuation Guidelines for Disaster Management Groups. This sets the foundation for local governments in the specific requirements for supporting aged care providers to prepare and respond to disasters.
It is also working with the State Disaster Management Group (SDMG) and at regional and local levels to encourage the SDMG to ensure all district and local disaster management groups actively engage with aged care service providers in their disaster management plans, operations and evacuations.
Source: Aged Care INsite