Nursing Home Sprinkler Systems Lacking

This is not a blog about run of the mill plumbing problems or the plumbing problems sometimes associated with old age (depends on whether or not you are old enough to get the meaning on the second issue above), but rather about the lack of fire protection sprinkler systems in nursing homes to protect the elderly, many with limited mobility which precludes them from escaping from a burning building. According to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) 97% of nursing homes in this country have met the sprinkler system requirement, but 385 homes, homes for 52,000 elderly people in 39 states are not in compliance. This just adds to the scariness of old age for me, because the original requirement was implemented in 2003 after 16 residents of a nursing home in Hartford, Connecticut and another 15 in Nashville, Tennessee perished in structure fires. Five years later in 2008 another five year extension for compliance for retrofitting older facilities was given but now there should be no excuse for noncompliance. The estimated costs were in the $200,000-$400,000 range and that doesn't seem outrageous when you consider the cost of nursing home care. Please take time to find out whether or not a nursing home is in compliance with federal safety guidelines for fire safety when choosing a place for your loved ones.