Guilford

As Irene loomed up the shoreline, area nursing homes and rehabilitation centers safely evacuated residents to other locations; a task which, given the specific needs of some patients, could have spelled disaster.

Apple Rehab in Guilford, adjacent to the East River, evacuated approximately 80 patients before the storm landed.

“We had to coordinate what were the available beds in our sister facilities,” said Apple Administrator Janet Woxland.

Two corporate nurses came in to discuss concerns like special mattresses and specialty wheelchairs.

Apple residents were moved to sister facilities across the state, including Apple Rehab Watertown, Wolcott Hall Nursing Center in Torrington, Apple Rehab Avon, a couple of locations in Meriden, and more.

“My wife went to [Westfield Care & Rehab Center] in Meriden,” Guilford resident Rod Latta said. “I found them very comfortable and very well efficient…she was well taken care of.”

According to Woxland, the Connecticut Department of Health said residents were not allowed to relocate to Laurel Woods in East Haven, Madison, or Old Saybrook because of the possibility of those areas having to evacuate as well.

 “To take those 78 [residents] and move them to a new environment with their medicine and their clothing is a phenomenal task,” Latta said.

Woxland said 70 Apple residents were relocated in a single day and the eight remaining residents were relocated the following morning. They returned to the Guilford facility Tuesday and Wednesday of the week following the storm.

“As they came home, they had a big welcome sign on the house,” Latta said. “Janet was welcoming each resident. I thought that was very noble of her.”

“It was just so nice to see the residents and they were saying ‘There’s no place like home,’” Woxland said, stating that she appreciates all of the hard work and help from her staff to make it all possible.

Clinton

“We opted not to evacuate we were given the choice,” said Mary Ellen Ierardi, Director of Community Relations at Peregrine’s Landing At the Shoreline. Administrator Sarah Savage was not available for comment.

Ierardi said that of the 46 residents at the nursing facility, only five fragile Hospice residents were relocated to Middlesex, Harrington Court in Colchester, and Chestelm in East Haddam.

“Hospice works with us very closely,” she said. The other residents were all moved to the main floor in what Ierardi called a “horizontal evacuation.”

“The residents loved it,” she said, claiming that the residents and staff ate al-fresco on the porch.

Peregrine’s regained power the Thursday after the storm and the five Hospice residents were returned to the facility the following weekend.