TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) -- All Florida nursing homes and assisted living facilities find themselves in the spotlight after the tragic heat-related deaths following Hurricane Irma.
After 11 deaths in South Florida, Governor Rick Scott ordered nursing homes to install generators within 60 days. Pacifica Senior Living is the oldest nursing home in Tallahassee and is home to 100 people. The center has portable generators, but they did not meet Scott's standards. The executive director, Scott Dalton, says they are complying with the new mandate.
Most agree it is important to prevent what happened in South Florida to happen elsewhere. Dalton states, "It is certainly something that I think that we in this industry need to be aware of because we do have some fragile individuals that we need to be concerned about and make sure that their safety and well-being is foremost the most important thing."
In addition to the costly fees of the generators, the director says having them installed in 60 days in not possible. It will take closer to 12 months to get permits and licenses to meet Scott's requirements. Pacifica is already in the process to get this complete.
