Florida Hospice Programs Implement Hurricane Preparedness Efforts
Tallahassee, FL. – Today Florida Hospice & Palliative Care Association (FHPCA) President and CEO Paul Ledford made the following statement regarding Hurricane Irma and emergency preparedness efforts:
FHPCA President and CEO Paul Ledford said, “Floridians are carefully watching the hurricane projections to ascertain the path of Hurricane Irma, and are busy getting prepared for a worse-case scenario. If you are a hospice patient or the caregiver of a hospice patient, please know that all Florida hospice programs have sophisticated emergency management plans to maximize the safety and care of their patients, and mitigate the impact of unavoidable service interruptions brought about by a natural disaster like a hurricane. Hospice programs have tested these emergency plans in table-top modeling, and by practical implementation in simulated scenarios.
“If you are a hospice patient or a caregiver in the path of the storm and are uncertain of the plan, please contact your hospice care team leader ASAP. If you are going to relocate a hospice patient, please communicate those intentions to the hospice program, so precious resources are not unnecessarily allocated to finding a temporarily relocated patient in the aftermath of the storm. Communication and information are vital to making the best of a potentially very difficult situation.”
Florida Hospice & Palliative Care Association has published a Hurricane Preparedness Guide for use by hospice patients and caregivers. Please find that guide HERE.
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About Florida Hospice & Palliative Care Association:
Florida Hospice & Palliative Care Association (FHPCA) is a not-for-profit, IRS Section 501(c)(3) organization representing hospice patients and families, hospice professionals and hospice providers. FHPCA strives to assure excellence in, and expand access to, hospice and palliative care, and advocates for the needs of those in the final stages of life.
2000 Apalachee Parkway, Suite 200, Tallahassee, Florida 32301
Telephone: 850-878-2632
Hospice Helpline: 800-282-6560
