Emergency Preparedness

This toolkit includes emergency preparedness resources for long-term care providers.

This document reviews the CMS Emergency Preparedness Rule and includes requirements and interpretative guidelines for health care providers participating in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Also included are resource links to checklists, risk assessment and guidance, and an emergency response plan template.

The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCANCAL) created this free training to help facilities review the types of surges they may experience, components of a surge plan and how to develop your surge plan. According to AHCANCAL, this course was designed to help with meeting critical staff shortages resulting from COVID-19.

This U.S. Department of Health & Human Services website includes a collection of topics from long-term care facilities located in different states that have developed their own emergency preparedness education plans, tools and templates. HHS has made these available for other facilities across the nation to use to help develop similar documents, processes and procedures.

This document follows “all hazards” guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to plan for a wide range of unexpected events. It outlines the critical parts of an emergency preparedness plan, including a section on emerging infectious diseases. The resource is designed to help nursing homes prepare to meet the health, safety and security needs of staff and residents during an emergency or disaster.

Register to attend this Nursing Home Connect webinar on Thursday, May 23, 2024, at 1:30–2:30 p.m. CT. Get a detailed overview of the importance of your emergency preparedness plan. TMF QIN-QIO specialists will provide tools, tips and resources to strengthen your plan and tailor it to your facility’s needs.

This AHRQ sample disaster preparedness letter is available to download and send to families to help nursing homes update the emergency contact information for residents.