La. Admin. Code tit. 48 § I-6875

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section I-6875 - Emergency Preparedness Plan

A. The ARCP shall have an emergency preparedness plan designed to manage the consequences of all hazards, declared disasters or other emergencies that have the potential to disrupt the ARCP's ability to provide care and treatment and/or threatens the lives or safety of the residents. The ARCP shall follow and execute its emergency preparedness plan in the event or occurrence of a disaster or emergency.

1. Emergency events include, but are not limited to hurricanes, floods, fires, chemical or biological hazards, power outages, tornados, tropical storms and severe weather.

B. The ARCP will work in concert with the local parish Office of Emergency Preparedness (OEP) in developing plans.

C. Upon the departments request, an ARCP shall present its plan for review. At a minimum, the plan shall include and address the elements listed below.

1. The plan shall be individualized and site specific. All information contained in the plan shall be current and correct. The ARCPs plan shall follow all current applicable laws, standards, rules or regulations.

2. Upon request, the plan shall be made available to representatives of the following offices:

a. OSFM;

b. OPH; and

c. local Office of Homeland Security.

3. The plan shall contain census information, including transportation needs for current census and available capacity.

4. The plan shall contain a clearly labeled and legible master floor plan(s) that indicates the following:

a. the areas in the ARCP, either in the residents apartment or the other areas of the ARCP, that are to be used by residents as shelter or safe zones during emergencies;

b. the location of emergency power outlets, if available (if none are powered or all are powered, this shall be stated as such on the plan); and

c. the locations of posted, accessible, emergency information.

5. The plan shall provide for floor plans or diagrams to be posted and those plans or diagrams shall clearly indicate:

a. that specific room or apartments location, the fire exits, the fire evacuation routes, locations of alarm boxes and fire extinguishers, and written fire evacuation procedures shall be included on one plan; and

b. a separate floor plan or diagram with safe zones or sheltering areas for non-fire emergencies shall indicate areas of building, apartments, or rooms that are designated as safe or sheltering areas.

6. The plan shall include a detailed list of what will be powered by emergency generator(s), if the ARCP has a generator.

7. The plan shall be viable and promote the health, safety and welfare of the residents.

8. The plan shall include a procedure for monitoring weather warnings and watches and evacuation orders from local and state emergency preparedness officials. This procedure will include:

a. who will monitor;

b. what equipment will be used; and

c. procedures for notifying the director or responsible persons.

9. The plan shall provide for the delivery of essential care and services to meet the needs of the residents during emergencies, who are housed in the ARCP or by the ARCP at another location, during an emergency.

10. The plan shall contain information about staffing when the ARCP is sheltering in place or when there is an evacuation of the ARCP. Planning shall include documentation of staff that have agreed to work during an emergency and contact information for such staff. The plan shall include provisions for adequate, qualified staff as well as provisions for the assignment of responsibilities and duties to staff.

11. The plan shall include procedures to notify each resident's family or responsible representative whether the ARCP is sheltering in place or evacuating to another site. The plan shall include which staff is responsible for providing this notification. If the ARCP evacuates, notification shall include:

a. the date and approximate time that the ARCP is evacuating;

b. the place or location to which the ARCP is evacuating, including the:

i. name;

ii. address; and

iii. telephone number.

12. The plan shall include the procedure or method whereby each ARCP resident has a manner of identification that is provided to them to be attached to his/her person. Residents shall be instructed to keep the identification on their person at all times in the event of sheltering in place or evacuation. The following minimum information shall be included with the resident:

a. current and active diagnosis;

b. medications, including dosage and times administered;

c. allergies;

d. special dietary needs or restrictions; and

e. next of kin or responsible person and contact information.

13. The plan shall include an evaluation of the building and necessary systems to determine the ability to withstand wind, flood, and other local hazards that may affect the ARCP. If applicable, the plan shall also include an evaluation of each generators fuel source(s), including refueling plans and fuel consumption.

14. The plan shall include an evaluation of the ARCPs surroundings to determine lay-down hazards, objects that could fall on the ARCP, and hazardous materials in or around the ARCP, such as:

a. trees;

b. towers;

c. storage tanks;

d. other buildings;

e. pipe lines;

f. chemicals;

g. fuels; or

h. biologics.

15. For ARCPs that are geographically located south of Interstate 10 or Interstate 12, the plan shall include the determinations of when the ARCP will shelter in place and when the ARCP will evacuate for a storm or hurricane and the conditions that guide these determinations.

16. If the ARCP shelters in place, the ARCPs plan shall include provisions for seven days of necessary supplies to be provided by the ARCP prior to the emergency event, to include:

a. drinking water or fluids;

b. non-perishable food; and

c. other provisions as needed to meet the contractual obligations and current level of care requirements of each resident.

17. The plan shall include a posted communications plan for contacting emergency services and monitoring emergency broadcasts and whose duty and responsibility this will be. The communications plan will include a secondary plan in the event primary communications fail.

18. The plan shall include how the ARCP will notify the local Office of Emergency Preparedness and the department when the decision is made to shelter in place or evacuate and whose responsibility it is to provide this notification.

D. The ARCP shall have transportation or arrangements for transportation for evacuation, hospitalization, or any other services which are appropriate and to meet the contractual obligations and current level of care requirements of each resident.

1. Transportation or arrangements for transportation shall be adequate for the current census and meet the ambulatory needs of the residents.

2. Transportation or arrangements for transportation shall be for the evacuation from and return to the ARCP or as needed to meet the contractual obligations or current level of care requirements of each resident.

E. The ARCP director, or designee, shall make the decision to evacuate or shelter in place after reviewing all available and required information on the storm, the ARCP, the ARCPs surroundings, and in consultation with the local office of Emergency Preparedness. In making the decision to shelter in place or evacuate, the ARCP shall consider the following:

1. under what conditions the ARCP will shelter in place;

2. under what conditions the ARCP will close or evacuate; and

3. when will these decisions be made.

F. The ARCP accepts all responsibility for the health and well-being of all residents that shelter with the ARCP before, during, and after the storm.

G. The ARCP shall have a plan for an on-going safety program to include:

1. inspection of the ARCP for possible hazards with documentation;

2. monitoring of safety equipment and maintenance or repair when needed and/or according to the recommendations of the equipment manufacturer, with documentation;

3. investigation and documentation of all accidents or emergencies;

4. fire control and evacuation planning with documentation of all emergency drills; and

5. all aspects of the ARCPs plan, planning, and drills which shall meet the requirements of the OSFM.

H. The ARCP shall inform the resident and/or the residents representative of the ARCPs emergency plan and ongoing safety plan and the actions to be taken. Current emergency preparedness plan information shall be available for review by the resident or the residents representative.

La. Admin. Code tit. 48, § I-6875

Promulgated by the Department of Health and Hospitals, Bureau of Health Services Financing, LR 41:1109 (June 2015).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 36:254 and R.S. 40:2166.1-2166.8.