- THCA

Volume XXX, Number 6
June 2015

Emergency Preparedness Reminder from DADS

With hurricane season about to start, the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) reminds providers that they must follow applicable program rules to ensure they are prepared to protect residents/clients during hurricanes and other emergencies. Hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30. Click Here for the provider letter.

Also, please remember that EMResource replaced the Facility Inventory, Vacancy and Evacuation Status System on November 30, 2014. To read more about this change, click here to see Provider Letter 15-04, Discontinuation of the Facility Inventory, Vacancy and Evacuation Status System, published on January 12, 2015. Facilities should contact their closest Texas Hospital Preparedness Program (TX HPP) regional lead agency as soon as possible to obtain a user account.

Every provider must:

Make sure its emergency preparedness plan is up-to-date and meets the needs of the individuals the provider serves.

Make sure personnel know what their responsibilities are during an emergency.

Coordinate with its local emergency management coordinator in the event of an emergency.

For emergency preparedness and response rules specific to each provider type, please see the following sections of Texas Administrative Code, Title 40, Part 1:

Chapter 92, §92.62(d) for ALFs

Chapter 19, §19.1914 for NFs

A provider must not exceed its licensed capacity without prior authorization from the director of survey operations at DADS Regulatory Services.

DADS will post a webpage for policies and procedures related to a specific hurricane. Providers may also click here to sign up at GovDelivery to get electronic updates about emergency preparedness and other topics and can customize their notification preferences.