Elderly Care Facilities Face Challenges as Utilities Shut Off Power to Prevent Fires

During a recent outage in Boulder, Colorado, Frasier, an assisted living and skilled nursing center, had to adapt quickly to maintain essential services for nearly 500 residents. Staff scrambled to keep critical systems like oxygen machines running, highlighting the urgent need for better disaster preparedness and communication between utilities and long-term care facilities to protect vulnerable populations.

The incident underscores the vulnerability of these facilities, as they were left without power for 28 hours, with staff relying on generators to maintain vital functions. This situation has prompted calls for nursing homes to be prioritized in power restoration plans and to be integrated into regional disaster preparedness strategies. The article emphasizes the need for systematic improvements and increased funding to ensure that nursing homes can adequately prepare for and respond to such emergencies.