RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES AND FUNCTIONAL NEEDS
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The case study concentrates on the emergency response retorted by a long-term care facility in Philadelphia after the occurrence of a torrential downpour in the state of Pennsylvania. The storm caused sufficient damage to the residence, which housed 112 inhabitants forcing them to evacuate under the orders of the local fire department. However, the long-term care placement lacked a strong emergency plan and thus, was unable to respond adequately to the disaster. Nonetheless, after the annunciation of the evacuation order, the facility received considerable assistance from local EMS ambulances and other resources such as buses, and a wheel-chair accessible van.
The following case demonstrates the competencies required by members of the public health labor force in the event or incidence of a disaster. Indeed, based on the negative implications that disasters have on safety and health, such competencies, based on the case’s context, comprise activities such as the ability to conduct assigned prevention, performing preparedness, ensuring response, recovery responsibilities that correlate with instituted nationwide, state as well as public health and local health safety policies, frameworks and systems (Weist et al. 2014, 360).
The responders will face different challenges when evacuating a building filled with people with functional needs. Foremost, due to different demands among individuals with functional needs, it may be impossible for challengers to utilize a one-size-fits-all planning scheme (Klaiman and Twersky-Bumgardner, 2014, 63). This is because such persons possess different physical, mental, cognitive and sensory impairments that leave them susceptible to external environmental factors. Responders may also face challenges while issuing emergency orders especially for people with language and hearing impediments. Additionally, people with mobility difficulties may have restricted access to adapted vehicles in case of evacuation orders. While attempting to protect individuals with functional demands, responders may encounter needs such as hearing and language impairments, cognitive disabilities, and mobility complexities.
The staff may have several considerations in the midst of evacuating the building for purposes of ensuring residential safety. First, the staff needs to ponder on different forms of functional needs evident within the residences. In the case of an evacuation, it may be impossible to use a single plan of action for both normal and functional persons. Secondly, the staff also needs to reflect on separation of individuals with cognitive and mobility impairments. In such an event, the people to face considerable restrictions comprise the mobility impaired. Hence, the faculty should focus on establishing different evacuation routines that will gratify the needs of those with mobility disabilities (Klaiman and Twersky-Bumgardner, 2014, 63).
If told that they must leave the building, the residents may respond differently towards the evacuation order. In instances involving those with mental impairments, affected persons may be unable to understand the directive and thus, lack the capability to cooperate fluidly with the evacuating faculty (Klaiman and Twersky-Bumgardner, 2014, 63). The order may also cause panic among those with mobility disabilities but effective cognitive functioning. Panic situations since individuals will tend to act haphazardly and further infringe on health security measures. Accordingly, the response may be difficult to convey specifically with persons possessing hearing impairments (Klaiman and Twersky-Bumgardner, 2014, 63). Indeed, such people will be incapable of responding swiftly due to complexity in comprehension caused by their hearing impediments.
Usually, emergency preparedness and response plans for residential facilities lack the resources required to follow them due to underdevelopment and insufficient training. In a scenario involving the inaccessibility to phone systems, the faculty responsible for managing the facility can notify family members of an occurring disaster using existing radio communication that may be evident within the temporary area of placement. Nonetheless, for a family that is unhappy with the temporary placement after evacuation, it will still be impossible to enact rules in line with the Affordable Care Act. This is because the regulations do not govern temporary movement of residents in case of emergency conditions (Klaiman and Twersky-Bumgardner, 2014, 62).
Concerning the storm case in Philadelphia, the disaster was not extensive enough to affect the utilization of EMS resources, a wheel-chair accessible can and school buses for evacuation (Klaiman and Twersky-Bumgardner, 2014, 66). However, in the case of a much wider occurrence, it would have been difficult to gain access to such assets. This is because wider disaster incidences such as hurricanes may cause unavailability of local resources. For instance, facilities may be incapable of accessing ambulance services based on their response towards critically injured or ailing persons. In addition to this, it is possible to exhaust local supplies such as food and beverages and be unable to contact emergency handlers such as 911. However, federal and state interventions may alleviate the situation by ensuring cooperation between city, state and federal emergency response teams.
To this end, the long-term care facility could have improved its emergency plans through reinforcement via resources and training. In relation to the Philadelphia case, long-term care buildings usually possess inadequate emergency response and preparedness plans (Klaiman and Twersky-Bumgardner, 2014, 66). This is because it is difficult for them to act extensively. However, through the provision of resources and training of local emergency services as well as faculty members, such facilities could have been capable of augmenting their emergency plans in response to the challenges experienced.
Bibliography
Klaiman, Tamar and Sylvia Twersky-Bumgardner. “Preparing For and Responding to Emergencies in Pennsylvania.” In Case Studies in Public Health Preparedness and Response to Disasters, edited by Linda Young Landesman and Isaac B. Weisfuse, 360-364. Burlington: Jones and Bartlett Learning, 2014.
Weist, Elizabeth McGean, Kristine M. Gebbie, Elizabeth Ablah, Audrey R. Gotsch, C. William Keck, Laura A. Biesiadecki, and John E. McElligott. “Appendix: Public Health Preparedness and Response Core Competency Model.” In Case Studies in Public Health Preparedness and Response to Disasters, edited by Linda Young Landesman and Isaac B. Weisfuse, 360-364. Burlington: Jones and Bartlett Learning, 2014.