Virginia Law

A. The facility shall develop a written emergency preparedness and response plan that shall address:

1. Documentation of initial and annual contact with the local emergency coordinator to determine (i) local disaster risks, (ii) communitywide plans to address different disasters and emergency situations, and (iii) assistance, if any, that the local emergency management office will provide to the facility in an emergency.

2. Analysis of the facility's potential hazards, including severe weather, biohazard events, fire, loss of utilities, flooding, work place violence or terrorism, severe injuries, or other emergencies that would disrupt normal operation of the facility.

3. Written emergency management policies and procedures for provision of:

a. Administrative direction and management of response activities;

b. Coordination of logistics during the emergency;

c. Communications;

d. Life safety of residents, staff, volunteers, and visitors;

e. Property protection;

f. Continued services to residents;

g. Community resource accessibility; and

h. Recovery and restoration.

4. Written emergency response procedures for assessing the situation; protecting residents, staff, volunteers, visitors, equipment, medications, and vital records; and restoring services. Emergency procedures shall address:

a. Alerting emergency personnel and facility staff;

b. Warning and notification of residents, including sounding of alarms when appropriate;

c. Providing emergency access to secure areas and opening locked doors;

d. Conducting evacuations and sheltering in place, as appropriate, and accounting for all residents;

e. Locating and shutting off utilities when necessary;

f. Maintaining and operating emergency equipment effectively and safely;

g. Communicating with staff and community emergency responders during the emergency; and

h. Conducting relocations to emergency shelters or alternative sites when necessary and accounting for all residents.

5. Supporting documents that would be needed in an emergency, including emergency call lists, building and site maps necessary to shut off utilities, memoranda of understanding with relocation sites, and list of major resources such as suppliers of emergency equipment.

B. By December 1, 2020, an assisted living facility that is equipped with an onsite emergency generator shall include in its emergency preparedness and response plan a description of the generator's capacity to provide sufficient power for the operation of lighting, ventilation, temperature control, supplied oxygen, and refrigeration.

C. By December 1, 2020, an assisted living facility that is not equipped with an onsite emergency generator shall:

1. Enter into an agreement with a vendor capable of providing the facility with an emergency generator for the provision of electricity during an interruption of the normal electric power supply; and

2. Enter into at least one agreement with a separate vendor capable of providing an emergency generator in the event that the primary vendor is unable to comply with its agreement with the facility during an emergency.

D. Staff and volunteers shall be knowledgeable in and prepared to implement the emergency preparedness plan in the event of an emergency.

E. The facility shall develop and implement an orientation and semi-annual review on the emergency preparedness and response plan for all staff, residents, and volunteers, with emphasis placed on an individual's respective responsibilities. The review shall be documented by signing and dating. The orientation and review shall cover responsibilities for:

1. Alerting emergency personnel and sounding alarms;

2. Implementing evacuation, shelter in place, and relocation procedures;

3. Using, maintaining, and operating emergency equipment;

4. Accessing emergency medical information, equipment, and medications for residents;

5. Locating and shutting off utilities; and

6. Utilizing community support services.

F. The facility shall review the emergency preparedness plan annually or more often as needed, document the review by signing and dating the plan, and make necessary plan revisions. Such revisions shall be communicated to staff, residents, and volunteers and incorporated into the orientation and semi-annual review for staff, residents, and volunteers.

G. In the event of a disaster, fire, emergency, or any other condition that may jeopardize the health, safety, and welfare of residents, the facility shall take appropriate action to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the residents and take appropriate actions to remedy the conditions as soon as possible.

H. After the disaster or emergency is stabilized, the facility shall:

1. Notify family members and legal representatives; and

2. Report the disaster or emergency to the regional licensing office by the next day as specified in 22VAC40-73-70.