After the city of New Orleans evacuated several senior independent living communities after Hurricane Ida, a city councilmember is proposing new rules.
Council Kristin Palmer has pre-filed an ordinance that would require annual inspections of independent living facilities, which differ from nursing homes that are regulated by the Louisiana Department of Health. Independent living centers are generally like ordinary apartment buildings where all the tenants are senior citizens, who do not need day-to-day medical assistance.
Palmer says if the staff of an independent living center decides they do not need to evacuate, then management must remain on-site with residents.
"And we also mandate that they have to have an evacuation plan that is submitted to NOHSEP (New Orleans Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness," said Palmer.
Palmer says elderly people who live "independently" can find themselves "dependent" very quickly when power and phones are knocked out by a hurricane.
"I witnessed the body of one of the elderly tenants being removed from Annunciation Inn, and it was beyond heartbreaking," Councilmember Palmer said. "One death is one too many, and we lost five of our city’s most vulnerable residents due to negligence and unacceptable living conditions in these facilities."
Meanwhile, city building inspectors are scrutinizing senior living centers.
"We're looking for signs of problems and inspecting fire suppression, sprinkler systems, pumps," said Peter Bowen, New Orleans Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for the Office of Business and External Services. "We are looking for anything that may be or may become a fire hazard, and again, any of the mechanicals, so all of the elevators."
Bowen said this is mainly taking the form of building inspections, and it shouldn't prevent residents from coming home.
