Baton Rouge Senior AdvisorWhat emergency plan must a Baton Rouge ARCP have?
A written emergency preparedness plan covering both evacuation and sheltering in place, with procedures for tracking weather watches, warnings and evacuation orders, a list of what any generator powers and how it will be fueled, identification attached to each resident, and notice to LDH and the parish Office of Emergency Preparedness (LAC 48:I.6875-6881).
The provider must give every resident a written copy of its evacuation procedures. That copy is the easiest document to ask for on a tour, and a provider that cannot produce one quickly has told you something.
What happens after a Louisiana ARCP evacuates?
The provider must report to LDH within 48 hours where each resident went, and it may not reopen a damaged or evacuated building until LDH authorizes it.
For families, the 48-hour report is the reason to ask in advance which host site the provider uses and how families are notified. After the 2016 flood, some Baton Rouge-area residents spent weeks away from their own rooms; knowing the host site and the trip ahead of time takes some of the fear out of it.
Why do Baton Rouge families focus on flooding and power instead of storm surge?
Because the capital region is inland: its worst recent disaster was the August 2016 flood, when the Amite and Comite rivers and their tributaries rose into Denham Springs, Central and parts of Baton Rouge, and its hurricane problems have mostly been wind damage and long power outages, as after Gustav in 2008 and Ida in 2021.
That changes the questions. Ask about the building's flood history and elevation, whether the generator runs air conditioning and not just lights, how much fuel is on site, and how long the building can shelter in place. In late summer heat, cooling is a medical issue for frail residents, not a comfort.
What do Louisiana's rules say about extra charges during a disaster?
The written information an ARCP gives prospective residents must include its fee structure for services during natural disasters such as tropical storms, hurricanes and floods, with a formula and cost parameters for any added charges (LAC 48:I.6833.A).
Costs of transport, host-site lodging and extra staff can be passed on to residents if the formula allows it. Ask for the formula in writing, ask what residents were actually charged the last time the building evacuated, and compare buildings on it.
Do nursing homes follow the same emergency rules?
Nursing homes have their own Louisiana licensing rules and, if certified by Medicare and Medicaid, federal emergency preparedness requirements that include evacuation and shelter-in-place procedures, an emergency power plan, communication plans and regular drills.
Federal rules also require certified homes to keep residents at safe temperatures and to plan for power outages. The question to ask is the same as at an ARCP: where did residents go last time, how long were they there, and how were families kept informed?
Side by side
| Louisiana's emergency rules require | Louisiana's emergency rules do not require | |
|---|---|---|
| Planning | A written evacuation and shelter-in-place plan | A particular host site |
| Power | A list of what any generator runs | A generator big enough to cool the whole building |
| Reporting | Resident locations reported to LDH within 48 hours | Families to be told by a set deadline |
| Costs | A written disaster-fee formula | A cap on disaster charges |
Sources: LAC 48:I.Chapter 68 for adult residential care, Louisiana Department of Health (Health Standards Section and Office of Aging and Adult Services) program pages, the Governor's Office of Elderly Affairs, CareScout and VA rate tables, each cited in the text. Our editorial standards explain how we check them.
