New Orleans Senior AdvisorBy New Orleans Senior Advisor Care Team · August 22, 2026
Every Louisiana ARCP must keep a written evacuation and shelter-in-place plan, list what its generator powers, identify each resident and disclose any disaster fees in writing. Ask for the resident copy of the evacuation procedures, the host site, the generator list and the fee formula, and compare them as carefully as the rent.
Why storm questions belong on the first tour
Most families tour assisted living in spring or fall, when the weather is mild and the question of a hurricane feels abstract. Then a storm enters the Gulf in late August and the family discovers that the building's plan is to bus residents to a host site three hours away, with a per-day charge nobody remembers agreeing to. Louisiana's licensing rules for adult residential care providers anticipate this. They require a written emergency plan, require residents to receive a copy of the evacuation procedures, and require any extra charges during natural disasters to be disclosed in writing before move-in. The questions below turn those rules into a checklist.
Questions one to four: the plan itself
1. May we have the resident copy of your evacuation procedures? The rule requires the ARCP to give each resident one. If the provider cannot produce it during a tour, that tells you how often it is used.
2. Where do residents go, and how? The plan must name the host site and the transportation. Ask whether the host site has agreed in writing, how long the trip took last time, and whether residents who use wheelchairs ride in lift-equipped vehicles.
3. When do you decide to leave? Plans must include a procedure for monitoring official watches, warnings and evacuation orders. Ask who makes the call and whether the provider tends to leave early, which is usually safer for older adults.
4. What happens if you shelter in place? The plan must identify safe areas of the building for non-fire emergencies. Ask what supplies are stored on site and for how many days.
Questions five to eight: power, people, paper and price
5. What does the generator run? Louisiana does not require every ARCP to have one, but the plan must list exactly what any generator powers and how it is refueled. Air conditioning, refrigerated medications and oxygen concentrators are the items to look for.
6. How are residents identified? Each resident must have identification attached to his or her person during an emergency. Ask to see the method.
7. How are families told? After an evacuation the ARCP must report residents' locations to LDH within 48 hours of any change from its intended host site. Ask how and when families hear the same.
8. What will it cost? The pre-residency information must include a formula with cost parameters for additional charges during tropical storms, hurricanes and floods. Ask for it in writing.
Comparing two providers side by side
| Question | Provider A | Provider B |
|---|---|---|
| Resident copy of procedures provided? | ||
| Host site and travel time | ||
| Generator powers air conditioning? | ||
| How families are notified | ||
| Disaster-fee formula (per day or flat) | ||
| Last evacuation date |
Print the table and fill it in on each tour. The answers often separate two buildings that look identical in every other way.
Parish geography changes the answers
The same plan can mean different things in different parishes. A building in Orleans Parish sits inside the levee system and depends on pumps and power; one on the West Bank of Jefferson is closer to the coastal marsh; one on the Northshore is on higher ground but may be near rivers that have flooded before. In St. Bernard and lower Plaquemines, officials often call evacuations earlier than in the city. Ask each provider how its plan reflects its own location, rather than accepting a corporate template.
If your parent lives at home instead, the plan is yours to make. Register with the parish's program for residents who need help evacuating, pack a week of medications, and decide on a destination before June.
What the provider must do after a storm
Louisiana's rule does not stop at the evacuation. After an emergency, the ARCP must document how the plan worked: when residents left, where they went, what was improvised, and any injuries or deaths during the evacuation and temporary relocation. An ARCP that evacuated, was damaged or lost power for a significant time may not re-open until LDH authorizes it. Ask a provider what it learned the last time and what it changed. A specific answer, such as a new host site or a second generator, is a good sign.
Ask too how residents' belongings are protected while the building is closed, and whether rent is charged during the weeks residents are away. The residency agreement and the disaster-fee formula should answer both.
A note for families who live out of town
If you live outside Louisiana, give the provider your cell number and a backup, and ask to be called, not just emailed, when an evacuation is announced. Cell service can fail in the hours after landfall. Agree with siblings on who is the single point of contact so the provider is not fielding five calls an hour. Keep a copy of your parent's medication list and care plan yourself, in case records are delayed at the host site.
Where hurricane planning fits among everything else
None of this means the storm plan should be the deciding factor. Care, staff and location still come first. But in the New Orleans area, a building that is excellent for eleven months and chaotic in September is not excellent. The eight questions take fifteen minutes on a tour, and the answers are easy to compare.
Frequently asked questions
Does Louisiana cap disaster fees in assisted living?
No. The rule requires the fees and their formula to be disclosed in writing before move-in, not limited.
Can a family take a parent out of an ARCP before an evacuation?
Yes. Tell the provider so its resident count is accurate, take medications and the care plan, and confirm how your parent returns once LDH authorizes the building to re-open.
Do nursing homes have the same rules?
Certified nursing homes follow federal emergency preparedness rules, which LDH's Health Standards Section surveys for CMS. Ask them the same eight questions.
