While careful documentation of policies, procedures and roles is necessary for an emergency preparedness program, an effective program is more than a written plan, according to an article on the McKnight's Long-Term Care News website.
The other critical component of an emergency preparedness program is ongoing learning, practicing, testing and improvement.
Testing, training and continuous improvement are also requirements put forth in the CMS emergency preparedness rule—no facility can be compliant without them.
The nine-step development process for a comprehensive emergency program used by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) illustrates the substantial role that ongoing preparedness activities play.
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