Safety in the storm: while Katrina raged, a special-needs shelter reached out to help others

Nursing Homes, Oct, 2005 by Sandra Hoban

On Monday, August 29, Hurricane Katrina, a storm of biblical proportions, hit the Gulf Coast with a vengeance. While New Orleans, Gulfport, Biloxi, and other cities addressed the storm's devastation, witnessed its toll on life and property, and were consumed with rescue and recovery efforts, the residents and staff of Biloxi Community Living Center (BCLC), a 240-bed skilled nursing facility in Mississippi, weathered Katrina and its aftermath in relative comfort and safety.

"In September 2004, we evacuated our residents who lived in the path of Hurricane Ivan," says Rachel Duncan, vice-president of community relations of Community Eldercare Services (CES) in Tupelo, Mississippi. From that difficult but educational experience, CES realized the importance of having a special-needs shelter available to the elderly in emergencies. "We worked closely with the Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA] and its Mississippi counterpart, MEMA, to meet all the standards necessary to receive designation as a certified shelter," says Duncan.

As part of the certification process, BCLC signed an agreement with FEMA to install a 50kW emergency generator financed by FEMA loans and some out-of-pocket cash. "Only a few companies manufacture this generator, but once we achieved our special-needs shelter certification, we were bumped to the top of the waiting list," explains Duncan.

In addition to being able to provide power, a shelter must carry a designated supply (usually 7 to 14 days worth) of bottled oxygen; water; food; pharmaceuticals, such as insulin; and medical supplies. Because many of these items have a limited shelf life, they are used as needed and then restocked to keep fresh supplies on hand at all times. A certified shelter must also develop a call-up list of staff who are immediately available in an emergency. And on August 29, 2005, the preparation paid off.

"We knew the hurricane was coming," says Duncan. "Cots were set up in nonresident areas, windows were boarded, and we gathered enough staff to care for our residents and others with special needs who were sent to BCLC through a transfer agreement with hospitals, churches, and home health providers." Staff were told to bring whatever they could manage. Some people traveled light. One woman arrived wearing a life vest and carrying a plaque of the Ten Commandments. "That's all I need," she said. The families of many staff members had followed evacuation orders, but some staff who are single mothers brought their children with them to ride out the storm, and volunteers came from other area facilities. Everyone pitched in to help. Three young girls kept themselves busy and residents occupied by giving manicures. Other volunteers helped out by talking to residents or by doing some general housekeeping.

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When the lights went out, the generator came on. The daily routine of BCLC went on as usual. "Of course, this was low-level emergency lighting. The most difficult part of the ordeal for residents was right after the storm when it got really hot. The air conditioner was blowing, but it wasn't cold air," says Duncan.

The most difficult challenge for the facility was communications (or lack thereof). "In most storms when the electricity is down, you can rely on cell phones. In Katrina, the cell towers were knocked down, and we were isolated. The facility couldn't stay in touch with CES. On August 31, BCLC acquired a satellite phone to use in an emergency," explains Duncan.

As Biloxi started flooding, the rising water stopped a street away from the facility. "The building was like an oasis in a sea of devastation," says Duncan--so much so that "Moses" became BCLC Administrator R.J. Alipour's new nickname. Other than a bit of roof damage, BCLC was spared.

Because BCLC had always scheduled regular disaster drills, staff and residents were prepared for the real thing. "It was like a well-directed play," recalls Duncan, "and many residents never realized the actual level of danger." The unusual activity of becoming storm-ready did not upset residents because most of them had grown up in the area and are used to hurricane preparations. Two days after the hurricane the residents forgot about the weather, but they did know that it was bingo day and they did play--by candlelight. BCLC's Pastoral Director Jeff Flinn headed volunteer Spirit Teams providing care packages and pastoral support to meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of residents and staff.

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Because of BCLC's shelter designation, providing food and water for up to 14 days wasn't a problem. Even if residents were served oatmeal and supplement shakes, they did receive nutrition. "Electricity and phone service were restored to Biloxi on September 2, and supply transports were allowed through soon after," reports Duncan.

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Although total recovery for the cities and towns in Katrina's wake is a long way off, in the darkness of this natural disaster there was a little ray of hope and security for some--the special-needs residents of Biloxi, Mississippi.