The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) announced their July 2023 Work Plan items, including an upcoming audit of nursing homes’ emergency power systems. According to the OIG, recent severe weather events have highlighted the need for and importance of emergency power systems for nursing homes.
Nursing homes are required to provide an alternate source of energy (usually a generator) to maintain temperatures to protect residents’ health and safety, as well as for food storage, emergency lighting, fire protection, and sewage disposal (if applicable), or to evacuate the residents. Nursing homes with generators must have them installed in a safe location and are required to perform weekly maintenance checks.
During the OIG’s onsite inspections of 154 nursing homes in eight states as part of their recent life safety and emergency preparedness audits, they found numerous facilities that had generators that were more than 30 years old. The OIG announced that they will conduct an audit to determine the age of emergency power systems in use by nursing homes and whether those systems are capable of delivering reliable and adequate emergency power, including power to HVAC systems, and whether they have been maintained in accordance with federal requirements.
Compliance Perspective
Issue
An emergency electrical power system must supply power adequate at least for lighting all entrances and exits; equipment to maintain the fire detection, alarm, and extinguishing systems; and life support systems in the event the normal electrical supply is interrupted. When life support systems are used, the facility must provide emergency electrical power with an emergency generator that is located on the premises. All wiring to each unit must be installed in accordance with the requirements of any of the wiring methods in Chapter 3 of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70 Guidelines: National Electrical Code (NEC); be designed and located so as to minimize the hazards that might cause complete failure due to flooding, fires, icing, and vandalism; and be located so that adequate ventilation is provided. Generators should be operated, tested, and maintained in accordance with manufacturer, local, and/or state requirements.
Discussion Points
- Review policies and procedures regarding adequate generator capability and the proper installation connections with air conditioning and heating systems to maintain temperatures in desired ranges during power outages, and the ability to operate essential equipment and electronic health records. Also review policies and procedures related to the testing and maintenance of generators. Ensure your Emergency Preparedness Plan addresses power interruption and possible generator failure.
- Train staff about the CMS requirements for protecting residents’ health and safety during incidents such as a power outage and the related responsibilities for each of their roles.
- Periodically audit to ensure that generators are adequate to provide the power needed for the air conditioning system, essential equipment, and electronic health records, and that the generator system is being properly connected, maintained, and regularly serviced. Conduct drills using only generator power and also practice with backup systems that will be in effect in the event of a power outage with a generator failure.
*This news alert has been prepared by Med-Net Concepts, LLC for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal advice.*
