Nursing Homes Facing Life-or-Death Decisions in Power Blackouts
As the Pacific Gas & Electric Company in California tries to reduce wildfire risk by cutting power during times of high risk, care facilities like nursing homes are up against factors that could prove deadly to at-risk patients.
California has thus far experienced a slow fire season and that’s good news to skilled nursing homes, those that care for people with dementia, medically fragile patients, who could be forced to evacuate or experience a blackout of power.
The Pacific Gas & Electric Company, along with Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric, have adopted plans to shut off electricity during times when the threat of wildfire is high. That could prove problematic for a number of nursing homes, which may have backup power for just six hours.
