Cedar Rapids, IA, derecho damage

A Cedar Rapids, IA, senior housing company is offering temporary shelter to senior community members affected by a recent derecho storm.

Hurricane-force winds swept through Iowa on Aug. 10. According to Gov. Kim Reynolds’ office, nearly 8,300 homes in the state were damaged or destroyed by the derecho. The state is seeking almost $4 billion in federal aid for the disaster.

Senior Housing Management, which manages continuing care retirement communities in Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota and Wisconsin, is offering shelter, meals, housekeeping and laundry service, cable, internet, utilities and healthcare assistance to people who had extensive property damage and / or power outages.

“We are very happy that all of our residents and staff are safe, with each of our communities running on full power or generator power at this point in time,” said Allison Law, chief operating officer. “We are now focusing our attention on those who were not as fortunate. Our communities are prepared to welcome seniors into private, fully furnished apartments.”

The Mayflower Retirement Community, a 38-acre campus in Grinnell, IA, had its assisted living wing and health center running on generator power, but its independent living residents were without electricity for a period of time.

Law said stays at a Senior Housing Management community can be as short as a few days or permanent, depending on the resident’s preference.

“These all-inclusive respite stays give those who are struggling a safe, comfortable place to live until power is restored and repairs are made,” she said. “This year has been so difficult for so many reasons. Our main goal is to provide peace of mind and security to our population’s most vulnerable.”

Meanwhile, tropical storms, hurricanes and wildfires are affecting other senior living communities.

Brookdale Senior Living, for instance, said Tuesday that its Brookdale Dowlen Oaks in Beaumont, TX, was evacuating residents to the Brookdale Willowbrook Place community in Houston due to an evacuation order caused by Hurricane Laura. Residents of Brookdale Lakes Charles in Lake Charles, LA, also were temporarily relocated to Brookdale Hattiesburg in Hattiesburg, MS. Residents in other potentially affected communities were sheltering in place. Laura strengthened to a hurricane on Tuesday with a predicted landfall on the upper Texas or southwest Louisiana coasts.

In California, the Brookdale Scotts Valley assisted living community was evacuated last Thursday due to an evacuation order in response to the Northern California wildfires. Residents were transferred to two sister communities, Brookdale Redwood City and Brookdale San Jose.