Many Question Order against NY Nursing Home Evacuations before Sandy

​Although the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) temporarily waived a number of federal requirements for healthcare facilities affected by Hurricane Sandy in late October (see the November 9, 2012, Issues in Continuing Care Risk Management), many are now questioning the decisions of state and city officials to recommend that more than 40 New York City nursing homes ride out the storm rather than evacuate, according to a story in the December 2, 2012, New York Times. The article states that, as the storm came through, nearly 30 nursing homes were flooded and lost power, many without functioning backup generators; poststorm evacuations for more than 5,500 residents took more than three days to complete.