Should LTC Facilities Be Required to Have a Back Up Generator?

Kim Hegwood | February 19, 2025

Today’s topic is a hot one. With the winter storms, Texas experienced this past year and the upcoming hurricane season safety of seniors in long-term care facilities is on the top of mind for many families and professionals. Kim invites Greg Shelley,-Program Manager, Harris County Long-term Care Ombudsman Program at Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth to talk about upcoming legislation that has been proposed.
Kim and Greg will be discussing:

1. What was the situation in Texas during the winter storm in regard to LTC Facilities?

2. State Representative Ed Thompson (R-Pearland) filed House Bill 2325 to require nursing and assisted-living facilities have a generator or another comparable backup power supply on-site in preparation for future weather events or blackouts.

3. This seems like a no-brainer- what was the pushback?

4. Are there any compromises that could be made to satisfy all parties?

5. Where does the bill stand currently?

Bio:

Greg is the Program Manager for the Harris County Long-term Care Ombudsman Program at Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth, which is provided in collaboration with the Harris County Area Agency on Aging.

He has over ten years of service with the ombudsman program, contributing as a volunteer initially and serving six years as the volunteer coordinator and staff ombudsman for Harris County. He later spent two years with the Houston-Galveston Area Council serving as a staff ombudsman covering Fort Bend and Waller Counties and returned to lead the program in Harris County in November of 2017. During his time as an ombudsman, he has helped resolve approximately a thousand cases and provided nearly 10,000 consultations to individuals regarding a wide range of topics related to resident rights and care in LTC settings. He has given presentations on the local, state, and national levels involving the ombudsman program and role, volunteer recruitment and retention, and various advocacy approaches. He also provides nursing home and assisted living staff in-service training in Harris County.

For More Information:

https://apps.hhs.texas.gov/news_info/ombudsman/

https://nursing.uth.edu/coa/ombudsman/ombuds_volunteers.htm

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