Caring for a terminally ill loved one can be rewarding but challenging work. In hurricane-prone states such as Florida, family caregivers must also take on the role of disaster preparedness managers, planning whether they will shelter in place or evacuate should a storm threaten their area. In Collier County, Avow Hospice helps families develop their plans for hurricane season and has its own comprehensive protocols for caring for the patients in its inpatient facility.
“Part of the admission process for our hospice patients is to help their families develop an emergency response plan,” says Christine Croce, senior clinical director for Avow. “Some patients and families prefer to leave the county in the event of a tropical storm; others choose to shelter in place or rely on county-run emergency shelters if needed. Our team supports them, whatever they decide.”
Avow works closely with Collier County Emergency Management, implementing its plan in coordination with county guidance. When the plan is activated, Avow team members call every homecare patient to review their emergency plan. For patients staying in their homes, Avow delivers two weeks’ worth of medicines, oxygen, and disposable supplies like gloves and pads. Team members also talk with families about the realities of sheltering in-place.
“We remind families that they may be without electricity or water for some time, so they need to think about how they will care for their family member in those conditions,” says Croce. “We also have the difficult conversations with families whose loved ones may be very close to death when a storm is predicted to arrive. We review funeral plans and talk about what families should do if their loved one passes during a storm and a funeral home cannot immediately respond. Just having that conversation can help families feel prepared for whatever might happen.”
Patients with complex care needs and/or dependency on powered medical equipment may choose to evacuate to the special needs shelter Collier County operates. Evacuating to the shelter, Croce says, takes planning from families. “We remind families that the special needs shelter is not a hotel – families must bring their own food, water, bedding, patient care items, and personal care items. Families must also continue their caregiving duties in the shelter as there are no medical professionals to take over for them. Avow social workers register patients for the shelter and coordinate their transportation to the school via Collier County bus. When the storm has passed, we make sure every patient is accounted for, whether they left the area, stayed at home, or evacuated to the special needs shelter.”
The 16-bed Georgeson hospice house inpatient unit on Avow’s campus is powered by a generator capable of running the facility at full capacity for up to seven days in the event of a power outage. Avow can continue to care for patients in the facility in up to Category Three storms. “Patients in our hospice house are already fragile, so if we can keep them there, we do,” says Dawn Kolderman, senior clinical director. “We do not, however, move in patients whose families wish to evacuate or avoid the special needs shelter. Team members scheduled to work during the storm arrive as early as they need to be able to travel safely on the roads, and they stay until the county determines it is safe for them to leave. We invite staff members working during the storm to bring their family members and pets to the campus if they like. Pets are kept in a concrete building adjacent to the hospice house, and we can accommodate families in other hardened, generator-powered buildings on the Avow campus.
Families bring their own linens, beds, food and supplies. They appreciate being in close contact with their family member who is working during the storm.”
When a Category 4 or 5 storm is expected, Kolderman says, Avow evacuates patients in Georgeson hospice house to Physicians Regional Hospital – Pine Ridge for care. They return to Georgeson or to home when the storm has passed.
“Tropical storms are a reality of living in Florida, and they can be scary events in the best of circumstances,” says Kolderman. “Our mission at Avow is to create peace of mind for those who need us, in whatever circumstances they face. Our emergency management plan helps us protect our patients, their families, and our staff during times of great uncertainty. We might not be able to control the storms, but we can control our reactions to them. Our emergency plans guide us in keeping our patients safe through whatever they face.”
For more information about Avow’s nonprofit hospice, palliative care, or grief support programs, visit www.avowcares.org or call 239-280-2288.
Avow
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www.avowcares.org