FICPRO: All institutionalized older adults must be counted in census

Jonathan Morales Adorno, president of the Federation of Long-Term Care Institutions

By The Star Staff

The island government must ensure that the census of older adults does not exclude long-term care institutions that are not licensed or subsidized by the Family Department, Jonathan Morales Adorno, president of the Federation of Long-Term Care Institutions (FICPRO by its acronym in Spanish), said Monday.

The organization warned that, as hurricane season approaches its peak, the lack of accurate and up-to-date data poses a risk to the safety and well-being of thousands of older adults who depend on essential services. Morales Adorno emphasized that the Family Department (DF) should include private homes, as well as institutions supported by the department and those under the Mental Health and Anti-Addiction Services Administration (ASSMCA), in the census to obtain a true count.

Morales Adorno expressed surprise that the DF announced it had already completed a census in Bayamón, San Juan and Carolina, while excluding homes that do not receive agency funding. He noted that a significant number of older adults in those facilities remain uncounted.

“Unfortunately, it’s a half-baked job, but they still have time to correct the error because every life of an older adult counts, regardless of who subsidizes their care in a long-term facility,” he said.

The FICPRO president urged that the ongoing census effort include long-term care homes licensed by the ASSMCA, as the Family Department subsidizes patients in these centers. He pointed out that mental health patients who cannot be accommodated at home are placed in ASSMCA facilities, and their lives matter as well.

As of Aug. 5, the census only included households licensed by the DF. The agency itself reported that the most recent official information available was from 2017, following Hurricane Maria, indicating that eight years have passed without updated data.

Morales Adorno stressed that the protective agency is the DF, not the ASSMCA. In the event of an atmospheric emergency, the DF must assume custody of any older adult, he said.

He emphasized that Puerto Rico is increasingly aging, making accurate information essential for emergency preparedness.

“If we don’t know precisely how many institutions exist, how many residents they care for, and their locations, it will compromise our response to a natural disaster,” Morales Adorno said.

The FICPRO president also highlighted the need to declare long-term care an essential service.

“We rank below hospitals because long-term care centers manage patients on ventilators, those with ulcers, bedridden patients, and individuals with mobility difficulties -- this is our daily reality,” he said. “During emergencies, hospitals provide care for a short time, but caregivers in our homes do so year-round with love and patience, with or without state assistance.”

Long-term care institutions have up-to-date emergency plans, trained staff, and resources ready for immediate response. However, Morales Adorno argued that individual preparedness is insufficient without a central coordination and monitoring system to ensure priority aid during emergencies.

“Experience has shown that accurate information is the key to saving lives when an emergency occurs. We cannot improvise,” he said. “Therefore, we insist on being officially recognized as an essential service. This recognition would allow long-term care facilities to receive priority access to critical resources -- fuel, food, medicine, electricity, and more -- during a disaster.”

The president of FICPRO, which represents some 600 homeowners across the island, urged the island Legislature to pass measures ensuring an official and inclusive census of all long-term care facilities, as well as the legal designation of these centers as essential services to guarantee priority access to aid and resources during emergencies.

Moreover, Morales Adorno advocated for the development of interagency coordination protocols to serve the elderly population in disaster situations.

“The responsibility to protect one of the most vulnerable populations lies with both us and the government,” he said.

Family Secretary Suzanne Roig Fuertes, meanwhile, addressed what she said are some misconceptions in the media regarding the ongoing census of long-term care homes.

“The DF is conducting a census of all older adults residing in long-term care homes licensed by the Department of Family Affairs,” she said. “This census serves several important purposes:

1. To update the licensing platform with accurate information.

2. To determine the number of available beds for older adults in licensed homes.

3. To identify the number of older adults without mental health conditions (note: Alzheimer’s is classified as a physical health condition) who are privately residing in these homes.”

“This census is a crucial aspect of our efforts to support older adults in Puerto Rico and aligns with Governor Jenniffer González Colón’s public policy,” Roig Fuertes said. “We want to emphasize that the census includes all homes licensed by the DF, even those that do not have residents subsidized by the department.”

As for older adults subsidized at the federal level and placed in ASSMCA homes, the DF secretary said “we have the necessary data.”

“It’s important to note that homes licensed by ASSMCA are specifically designed for individuals with mental health conditions, which distinguishes them from other facilities,” she said. “Their services focus on addressing mental health issues.”