BRENHAM NURSING HOMES DISCUSS WINTER STORM RESPONSE

  

Brenham nursing homes were among the many affected by last week’s historic freeze, but preparations made ahead of time helped mitigate the storm’s effects on residents.

At Kruse Village, staff spent time prior to the arrival of the cold wrapping up exterior hoses and dripping faucets.  Once the sleet and snow began, they shifted their focus to making sure residents were safe.

Kruse Village Executive Director Coy Fontenot had nothing but praise for how his team handled last week’s emergency.

 

Fontenot said the rolling blackouts were “definitely a challenge,” but the nursing home did not get too cold, and residents were kept warm with blankets and other supplies.  He said there was plenty of bottled water available, as a backup supply is kept on hand in case of emergencies.  As road conditions deteriorated, Fontenot and the facility administrator picked up staff members for work, while the Director and Associate Director of Nursing stayed onsite to make sure staffing needs were met.

Focused Care at Brenham also faced difficulties during the storm.  In a written statement, it said power went on and off last Sunday but was never gone for an extended period of time.  It said once there was a decrease in water pressure, it shifted to using paper plates and plastic silverware to save its emergency water for cooking, bathing and drinking.

Focused Care said its challenges were focused on transportation for team members, many of whom stayed at the facility to avoid the storm and ensure residents were cared for.  Other staff members were picked up at their homes by the Director of Nursing and dropped off after their shifts.  The nursing home said emergency drills are conducted periodically, and that its emergency plan ensured there was no interruption in care for residents.

Brenham Nursing and Rehabilitation Center said in a statement that it never lost power or heat during the storm.  It said planning began several days in advance, and plenty of blankets, food, water and emergency supplies were available.  Hotel rooms were rented for staff members who needed them, while transportation was offered to and from work for all employees.  The nursing home said it feels its emergency plan was executed well, and is thankful that all residents and staff were kept safe.

Full statement from Focused Care at Brenham:

Focused Care at Brenham residents and team members were very fortunate through the worst of the severe winter storm that hit Texas. While our power went on and off last Sunday, we were never without it for an extended period of time and retained electricity for the duration. We carefully monitored our generator and when we discovered a decrease in water pressure, we began using paper plates and plastic silverware in order to utilize our emergency water for cooking, bathing and drinking.  Several team members generously donate bottled water to our community.

The challenges we faced were focused on transportation for our team members, many of whom were picked up at their homes by our Director of Nursing, brought to work and back home after their shifts to alleviate their apprehensions for driving. Many team members elected to stay at Focused Care at Brenham to avoid the storm and to help ensure residents were comfortable and cared for.

Our Focused Care team periodically conducts emergency drills and our emergency plan during this time proved helpful, though no one could anticipate the severity of this winter storm and the havoc it wreaked on our state. As always, we will continue to review our emergency plan based on what we learn in any urgent circumstance.  There was no interruption in care for our residents and we are grateful to have endured the storm with no detrimental impact to our dedicated team members who once again showed impressive commitment to the health and safety of those in our charge.

Full statement from Brenham Nursing and Rehabilitation Center:

While we know last week’s winter storm created challenges for everyone in the state, I am pleased to report that Brenham Nursing and Rehabilitation never lost power or heat. We began planning for the storm several days in advance and we had plenty extra blankets, food, water and emergency supplies available. We rented hotel rooms for staff members who needed them and offered transportation to and from work to all employees so they would not have to risk driving on the ice.  We feel confident that our emergency plan was well executed and we are so proud of our great team and thankful that all of our residents and staff are safe.