Hurricane Dorian Tests Florida's Ability to Move Older Adults Out of Harm's Way

Hurricane Dorian is a test case of Florida's senior evacuation efforts, reports the New York Times . The AARP estimates that retirees comprise 20 percent of the Sunshine State's population, and a new Florida law mandates nursing and assisted living communities have backup generators and sufficient fuel to maintain comfortable temperatures. Approximately 190,000 people live in such communities, mainly in the state's southeastern tip. On Monday, Patrick Manderfield with Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration said all but 42 of the state's 3,062 licensed assisted living communities had an on-site generator, while five communities had emergency plans to evacuate "if needed." According to Reuters , on Friday some nursing communities were still awaiting temporary generators, although a state website suggested they might have all been supplied by Monday afternoon. Last week, the Miami Herald disclosed that close to 60 percent of the state's 687 nursing communities lacked enough backup power. Large communities for seniors requiring constant care have implemented complex emergency plans, ranging from mass evacuations to other centers elsewhere in the state to specialty vehicle transportation for frailer residents. "If you're taking an older adult from their normal room to transport them to another community where they're maybe on a mattress, you just try to make it the best atmosphere," said Amy Dickens with the Orlando Lutheran Towers community.