Florida database: Dozens of local nursing homes, assisted living facilities out of compliance

The state has no record for nearly one in five local nursing homes and assisted living facilities of what plans they have if their facilities lose power. Florida passed a new law requiring backup power systems after about a dozen elderly people died during Hurricane Irma when a South Florida facility lost power. Doug Adkins told Action News Jax he built Dayspring Senior Living in Hilliard with hurricanes in mind. “It’s all built out of concrete, steel, it’s built with hurricane force windows,” said Adkins.

This state database shows the Agency for Health Care Administration has no record of backup power plans for 40 local facilities. Those plans must be approved by local agencies, like JFRD. The facilities must then send their approval letters and plans to the AHCA. Action News Jax reached out to multiple facilities that the state claims have no plans. We uncovered there may be a communication breakdown. At least three facilities told Action News Jax their plans were approved by JFRD’s Emergency Preparedness Division, but the state database has no record of it. One facility showed Action News Jax a letter from JFRD approving it’s plan. An AHCA spokesperson told us the agency never got the letter or plan from that facility.

Dozens of facilities in our area applied for a Jan. 1 extension to file their backup power plans. The state has records of backup power plans for more than 170 local facilities.