Sector leader demands swift gov’t response to aid long-term care homes amid water shortages
- The San Juan Daily Star
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
Chastises Family Dept. over ‘immediate recommended actions’ communique
By THE STAR STAFF
With various towns on the island facing serious drought problems and water rationing plans, Long-Term Care Institutions Federation (FICPRO by its acronym in Spanish) President Jonathan Morales Adorno on Wednesday demanded the need for a quick, coordinated and effective response from the island government to guarantee the supply of potable water to the nearly 1,500 homes licensed by the Family Department and those licensed under the Mental Health and Anti-Addiction Services Administration.
The long-term care industry is one of the most heavily regulated. Therefore, the FICPRO president questioned why, in the midst of the crisis, instead of offering urgent and ongoing assistance, the Family Department’s Licensing Office chose to send a communication dated July 6 reminding long-term care homes of the “immediate recommended actions,” emphasizing compliance with Regulation 9720 for the care of older adults, as well as Law No. 94 of June 22, 1977, the Establishments for the Elderly Law. The office also announced inspection visits.
“Oversight must be tied to prioritizing long-term care homes in the face of water rationing because our institutions provide essential services 24/7,” Morales Adorno stressed. “Common sense and responsibility remind all homeowners that, in the face of a drought and crisis due to rationing, it is our ministerial duty to review and update emergency plans, verify the availability of stored water, activate cistern and pumping system protocols, coordinate with the Aqueduct and Sewer Authority … to learn the schedule for interruption and restoration of drinking water service, as well as arrange for support with water trucks and keep household staff, residents and their families informed.”
The FICPRO president said the operators of care homes “will again do everything within our power to guarantee the safety, well-being and continuity of the services received by thousands of senior citizens and people with mental health conditions.”
However, he said, “it’s also time to acknowledge a reality. Households cannot face an emergency of this magnitude alone.
We need strong support from the government.”
“It’s not simply a matter of receiving a reminder of our obligations or announcing that they will visit random homes to ensure compliance with laws and regulations,” Morales Adorno said. “That only leads to great frustration.”
“The long-term care homes of Puerto Rico have demonstrated, time and again, our commitment to the most vulnerable populations,” he added. “We did so during hurricanes Irma and Maria, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and after the earthquakes that impacted the southern part of the island. In each of those emergencies, we remained open, caring for lives when many other services had to stop.”