Eye on the Tropics

Patients evacuated after Orlando nursing home loses power

APOPKA, Fla. — Dozens of patients at the Greentree Nursing home in Orlando had to be rescued after Hurricane Irma knocked out the power.

Thirty-nine people were evacuated, but eight Alzheimer’s patients remain because they require specialized care and have no family to take them in.

Some of the patients have nowhere to go.

The home has been without power since Wednesday night and the building is running off two generators.

“We have an air conditioner that can actually cool the whole living room area,” said owner Mari Clark.

Clark said because the remaining eight patients have memory problems and no family or friends to take care of them, she decided to keep them at the nursing home.

Volunteers have been dropping off water and food.

“We’re getting food, we’re getting ice, we’re getting water,” said Clark. “It was very, very hot yesterday. We were cooking for 40 or 50 people last night.”

Clark said the food the volunteers is a big help because the home ran out on Wednesday.

It’s not known when the building will get power.

Workers at the nursing home said they are doing what they can to keep the eight remaining patients comfortable.

Seminole County officials said Thursday evening in a statement, "that they've enacted an executive order requiring assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and intermediate care facilities for the Developmentally Disabled to enact their Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan.

"Per Florida Statute 252, healthcare facilities are required to have an emergency management plan which must include an evacuation plan and alternate care methods in order to maintain a standard level of care for their residents. It is Seminole County’s interest to protect our most vulnerable populations by encouraging administrators to take mitigation actions for residents in facilities without power and air conditioning.

"Facility Administrators should begin to enact their Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan, which consists of the necessary evacuation elements of their plan, if they have not already done so. If an alternate facility is not available, Seminole County EOC has identified an emergency shelter. "