In Hurricane Helene’s Aftermath, Everyday Heroes ‘Trying to Pull Together’

October 01, 2024

BY Lisa Sanders

Recommend

Updates on how members in North and South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, and Georgia are coping in Hurricane Helene's aftermath-and how you can help.

In the wake of Hurricane Helene's destruction, Americans in many communities throughout the Southeastern U.S. are struggling to recover. Many LeadingAge members in North and South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, and Georgia are among them.

Tom Akins, president and CEO of LeadingAge North Carolina, told McKnight's Long-Term Care News on September 30 of communities in the Asheville, NC, area "trying to pull together to care for residents when they don't have access to power, they don't have access to water. They are trying to find access to food and other supplies they need to care for their residents."

Kassie South, LeadingAge South Carolina president and CEO, that same day shared news with LeadingAge national staff about members who've been "hit really hard" and lack power-forced to run their nursing homes on generators. Roads, she said, have been impassable. Yet, as McKnight's Senior Living reports, South said, "Our members are everyday heroes who have continued to show up and care for residents despite the immense tragedy and devastation they are facing at home."

On a Tuesday, October 1 conference call with LeadingAge national staff, North Carolina members shared their on-the-ground experiences, which mirror national news headlines: power outages, broken infrastructure, and inability to communicate. One member is unable to reach over 20 staff members. Water, fuel, and food are needed.

In response, LeadingAge members near and far are stepping up. To help staff at Saluda Nursing & Rehabilitation, South Carolina member Still Hopes, a continuing care retirement/life plan community in West Columbia, SC, delivered bottled water, bags of charcoal, toilet paper, paper towels, trash bags, and coolers. In Florida, members Aviva, Sunnyside, Village on the Isle, and the Pines of Sarasota took in residents displaced from Plymouth Harbor on Sarasota Bay.

Yet more help is needed. "Supporting one another in times of need is a LeadingAge value, a guiding principle," said LeadingAge President and CEO Katie Smith Sloan. "We step up and serve to the best of our ability. We did it with hurricanes Sandy, Michael, Irma, Maria, and most recently Ian; we've responded to the devastation wrought by wildfires and other disasters. Helene is no different. We're here for those in need. Our members have over the years donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to aid staff, residents, and member organizations who've been harmed by natural disasters. Although the impact of these uncontrollable events can be far-reaching and long-lasting, we are here to help see it through." Please consider a donation to the LeadingAge Disaster Relief Fund, as 100% of all donations will go directly to members and their staff.

For the latest developments, see our Hurricane Helene Disaster Relief serial post.