One Dickinson, Texas-based assisted living community’s emergency preparedness was certainly put to the test this week, as residents of the La Vita Bella assisted living community were left stranded during the wake of Hurricane Harvey.
A photo of La Vita Bella residents sitting waist-deep in flood water, in what appears to be a common living space in the community, made its rounds on social media Sunday, after first being posted by Tampa, Florida native Timothy McIntosh on Twitter.
La vita Bella nursing home in Dickinson Texas is almost underwater with nursing home patients pic.twitter.com/oCNkrgoRZY
Advertisement— Timothy J. McIntosh (@DividendsMGR) August 27, 2017
Though McIntosh was miles away from the destruction, his mother-in-law, Trudy Lampson, owner of La Vita Bella, sought his help in circulating the photo online, according to local media. It has since been re-Tweeted more than 4,000 times.
The attention the photo received hours after it was posted, coupled with Lampson’s own efforts in seeking help, led Dickinson Police Department and the Texas National Guard in executing a rescue operation, successfully extracting the community’s 15 residents, as well as staff, from the heavily flooded community, according to the Galveston County Daily News.
Much care was taken by the Dickinson Police Department and the Texas National Guard, particularly as the seniors being rescued required special medical attention, according to Sgt. Tim Cromie, public information officer with the Dickinson Police Department.
All seniors rescued have been transported to Mainland Center Hospital in Texas City and placed under observation, Cromie told Senior Housing News.
“We’re extremely grateful that all the residents were safely evacuated in the best timely manner that it could be,” said Cromie.
Written by Carlo Calma