South Carolina works to coordinate elderly evaucations | 12.28.2005 | 06:57:53 | Views: 5623 | ID: December 28 '06: The Associated Press has reported that government officials in South Carolina are working with the state's nursing homes to develop effective evacuation plans and storm preparedness in the event a large hurricane like Rita or Katrina were to hit. Nursing home care givers have said they need help with evacuation plans to effectively help the elderly patients. During a emergency preparedness summit Charleston in November sponsored by the National Council on Readiness and Preparedness, Dr. Rick Rader said that too much responsibility has been placed on those working inside the nursing homes to make sure evacuations are efficient and safe. "It's a little unrealistic to put all of the burden on these direct-support professionals," Rader, the director of a Tennessee facility helping to address physical and mental health issues, said at the NCORP-sponsored summit, the AP reported. Currently, South Carolina's Department of Health and Environmental Control has brought on "an employee to work with nursing homes on evacuation plans and storm preparedness," the AP reported. "The DHEC could not work out an evacuation plan with the Motorcoach Association of South Carolina, which is the chief contractor," of nursing homes in the state, but industry officials say their evacuation plans are in place, and effective. Randal Lee, the president of the nursing home trade group, South Carolina Health Care Association, told the AP the industry has effective measures in place to address evacuation needs in case a large hurricane were to hit the area. Lee also said "that previous storm evacuations have gone largely without complications," the AP reported.
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