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Hurricane season officially started on Saturday, June 1 and runs through November 30. After Hurricane Irma in 2017, many Florida nursing homes and assisted living facilities were found to be woefully inadequate in providing safe environments for their residents. Because of this inadequacy, 12 residents of The Rehabilitation Center of Hollywood Hills died following Hurricane Irma.

The South Florida Sun Sentinel reported on April 17, 2019 that facilities are still not meeting Florida’s mandate for backup power.

Only 35 percent of the 684 nursing homes across Florida have installed generators, as required by the rules put in place by Florida’s legislature and former governor, Rick Scott, according to the Agency for Health Care Administration.

Four hundred forty-four nursing homes had originally been granted variances from the rules and were given extensions until January 1, 2019. Now, these nursing homes are seeking another extension, which means they probably will not have the required backup generators or access to 96 hours of fuel for the 2019 hurricane season.

A spokeswoman for the Florida Health Care Association, Kristen Knapp, told The News Service of Florida that it was taking up to two years for nursing homes to get generators and approval from state and local authorities who need to sign off on the design and construction plans.

“This is a very difficult situation for the loved ones of nursing home and assisted living facility residents. It is important that these loved ones speak with the facility managers to understand their readiness for the 2019 hurricane season before a hurricane is on its way. Should these facilities not be in compliance, alternatives need to be considered,” said Fort Myers Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Randall Spivey of Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. “If your loved one is injured because the facility in which he/she is living loses power, please contact us. We are available to assist you 24/7.”

Florida Nursing Home Negligence Attorney,Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Civil Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just one (1%)percent of Florida attorneys. He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida. For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at  239. 337.7483 or toll free at 1.888.477.4839, or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com  for more information. You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County 239.793.7748.