House Bill 1199 would call for emergency generators to run for a minimum of 72 hours in those centers.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Coastal Bend is no stranger to destruction that can be caused when a hurricane hits close to out shores, which is why lawmakers are looking to push legislative items that focus on emergency plans for senior living centers.
Senate Bill 481 would require emergency plans be put in place at nursing homes and assisted living centers to include generators. House Bill 1199 would call for emergency generators to run for a minimum of 72 hours in those centers.
Del Cielo Home Health Volunteer Coordinator Linda Penn said having round-the-clock power can mean the difference between life or death for those who heavily rely on it.
“Most of our patients are on oxygen, also on feeding tubes so some of them are powered by electricity,” she said.
While Del Cielo does not treat patients on site, they do provide at home care. Pena said that in emergencies, like storms or other inclement weather, they will even transport patients to other facilities.
“A lot of them are bed bound. A lot of them are not like you and me, just being able to get up, a lot of them are bed bound so they would need our assistance,” she said.
Political Analyst Dr. Bill Chriss said that both bills could prove to be beneficial for the Coastal Bend, especially for long periods without power.
“That can be really problematic if there’s no power for a long time and you can’t get people in and out of the facility because you don’t have,” he said.
Chriss said that due to Texas’ unique position when it comes to the power grid, having safeguards can pay off in the long run.
“And there more common as a result of brownouts and as a result of the power grid just not being able to handle the demand for electricity,” he said.