“The collaboration of long-term care and other residential facilities with public health agencies will be important in protecting the people living in those facilities if and when a pandemic occurs,” Secretary Leavitt said. “These facilities provide vital services for their residents. By working together now, we’ll be better equipped to serve these residents and their caregivers in the future.”

The new checklistentifies steps that long-term care and other residential facilities can take to prepare for a pandemic, and could be helpful in other types of emergencies. The checklist was developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Preparedness suggestions include:

• Have a structure for planning and decision-making, with a multidisciplinary group created to specifically pandemic influenza preparedness planning.
• Develop a written pandemic influenza plan thatentifies the person or persons authorized to implement the plan and the organizational structure to be used.
• Develop a facility communication plan that includes key points of contact such as local and state health department officials, and a person responsible for communicating with staff, residents and families.
• Have a plan to provide education and training to ensure that all personnel, residents and family members of residents understand basic prevention and control measures for pandemic influenza.
• Have an infection control plan in place for managing residents and visitors with pandemic influenza.
• Have a plan to get and use vaccines and antiviral drugs.
• Address issues related to sudden increased needs, such as prioritizing services, staffing and supply shortages, and alternative care for residents who need acute care when hospital beds are unavailable.