Did you see the article pointing out how thousands of people who live in nursing homes were saved from disaster during Hurricane Michael? You didn’t? Neither did I, and that’s a darn shame!
Hurricane Michael was as bad of a storm as I have seen, and I have seen a lot of them. I’ve lived in Florida for every storm since 1969. I witnessed the devastation of Charlie first-hand.; the eye of Charlie passed right over my parents’ home and business. Unable to contact them throughout the night, I loaded my truck with supplies and made the four hour drive from Tallahassee to Central Florida seemingly with no one else on the road other than rescue trucks. The closer I got to the epicenter of the storm’s remnants, I kept thinking to myself, “Wow, it looks like a bomb went off.”
I had that same “wow” moment again, only this time it was as a team from FHCA, led by President Alex Terentev, delivered much-needed supplies to nursing home employees only three days after Michael ravaged the panhandle.
During the storm, Team FHCA worked at the Emergency Operations Center fielding calls from those affected by the storm. There were scary moments to be sure, but our members worked through the storm with a determination that should never be forgotten.
And while thousands of Floridians living in nursing homes were delivered safely through this massive, powerful storm, there has not been one “deep-dive” investigative report on the heroes who kept them safe.
A term that comes to mind is, “if it bleeds, it leads,” when it comes to news headlines. What a pity.
While it may not matter to the press, I can promise you it matters to your team at FHCA. We are proud of you!
It also matters to those in your care, along with their family members. Because of you, they were kept safe in one of the deadliest storms in history. They are grateful to you.
Thank you for what you do, not only during storms, but during the daily care that you provide those that need it so much.
You all are heroes.