As if a pandemic isn’t enough.

Healthcare facilities have struggled for nearly a year to treat patients with COVID-19 and, in the case of long-term care facilities, protect an at-risk population from the spread of the coronavirus. Now, facilities throughout the South and Southeast also must deal with bitter-cold weather — and in the case of Texas, widespread power outages.

Ice, power outages and low temperatures left several Brookdale Senior Living communities and other communities across Texas without power, leading to the implementation of emergency preparedness plans to ride out the unusual storm, according to McKnight’s Senior Living.

Brookdale officials say they have a storm preparedness plan in place and that its facilities are equipped with water, food, onsite or ready-to-deploy generators, and supplies, including an adequate supply of face coverings, hand sanitizer and disinfectants to care for residents.

Argentum President and CEO James Balda asked that power be prioritized for senior living communities affected by the storm across the country, and also asked that disruptions and planned power outages be limited to ensure that essential operations can continue. 

The storm affected the central United States, bringing freezing rain, sleet and snow from Texas to the Mid-Atlantic region. A second storm was set to arrive on Wednesday with more snow and ice. At least 12 deaths have been attributed to the storm, according to the Weather Channel, which noted that more than 4 million customers in Texas still had no electricity on Tuesday.

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