Long-Term Care (LTC) Emergency Preparedness

The tools and resources on this page were developed to assist with emergency preparedness planning for long-term care (LTC) facilities. LTC facilities include nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities (SNF), assisted living facilities (ALF), Assisted living (AL) licensed group homes, intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ICF/IID), home care agencies, and hospice. The resources on this page are intended for LTC facility owners, administrators, and staff, as well as others who may assist with LTC emergency preparedness planning, such as health care coalitions.

The Resource Guide was updated July 2025. The latest version is below.

Legal Disclaimer: The information provided in this resource guide is intended for reference only, and it is not updated as guidance, regulations, or statutes change. Resource guide users should review the specific statutes, regulations, and other interpretive materials for a full and accurate statement of their content. For current regulations, please see the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services website, Updated Guidance for Emergency Preparedness-Appendix Z, which is linked below.

Use of the tools or assistance provided by this toolkit does not guarantee any outcome during survey or inspection visits. Facilities are solely responsible for meeting Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services requirements.

On this page:
Long-Term Care Resources
Long-Term Care Resource Guide

Long-Term Care Preparedness Resource Guide (updated July 2025)

Base plan (PDF)

• Appendix A: CMS Appendix Z Table Crosswalk (Word)
• Appendix A.2: ASPR: LTC Requirements CMS Emergency Preparedness Final Rule (PDF)
• Appendix A.3: ASPR: Provider and Supplier Types Covered by the CMS Emergency Preparedness Rule (PDF)
• Appendix A.4: CMS: CMS Releases Updated Emergency Preparedness Guidance (PDF)
• Appendix A.5: Supplemental Document for Group Homes, Home Care, and Hospice (PDF)
• Appendix A.6: Resident Emergency Preparedness Information (Word)
• Appendix B: Hazard Vulnerability Analysis and Tool (PDF)
• Appendix C: Communications (PDF)
• Appendix C.2: External and Internal Contacts (XLS)
• Appendix D.1: Incident Command Systems (ICS) Organization Chart (PDF)
• Appendix D.2: HICS Incident Action Plan (IAP) QuickStart Guide (Word)
• Appendix D.3: Incident Command Structure (ICS) - Digging Deeper (PDF)
• Appendix E: Facility/Agency Contact Lists (Word)
• Appendix F: Building Specific Information (Word)
• Appendix G: HIPAA Waiver Resources (PDF)
• Appendix H: Facility/Agency Shelter-in-Place Checklists and Response Items (Word)
• Appendix I: Evacuation Checklists (Word)
• Appendix J: Evacuation Transportation (PDF)
• Appendix K: MOU Template (PDF)
• Appendix L: Recovery Checklist (Word)
• Appendix M: Exercise, Evaluation, and Improvement Planning Checklist (AAR-IP) (Word)
• Appendix M.2: AAR/IP Template (Word)
• Appendix N: Regional Contacts and Important Resources (PDF)
• Appendix O: Additional Resources (PDF)
• Annex A: Emergency Notification of Administrator/Director Policy (PDF)
• Annex B: Bioterrorism Threats (PDF)
• Annex C: Bomb Threat Guidance (PDF)
• Annex D: External Chemical Spill (PDF)
• Annex E: Electrical Power Outage Guidance (PDF)
• Annex F: Licensed Facility/Agency Evacuation Guidance (PDF)
• Annex G: Fire Guidance (PDF)
• Annex H: Severe Weather; Thunderstorms – Tornados – Winter Weather – Extreme Heat and Cold (PDF)
• Annex I: Cybersecurity (PDF)
• Annex J: Flood Guidance (PDF)
• Annex K: Missing Resident (PDF)
• Annex L: Emergency Shut Down (PDF)
• Annex M: Emerging Infectious Disease (EID) or High Consequence Infection Disease (HCID) (PDF)
• Annex N: Active Shooter (PDF)
• Annex O: Radiological Incidents (PDF)

Long-term care resources

HHS TRACIE: Long-term Care Facilities
LTC resources covering a broad spectrum of Emergency Preparedness and Response information. Ranging from published best practices and lessons learned to templates and toolkits developed from preparedness partners nationwide.

HHS TRACIE: Emergency Preparedness Requirements for Medicare and Medicaid Participating Providers and Suppliers
Resources that can help providers and suppliers comply with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Emergency Preparedness Rule.

Long-term Care: COVID-19
Minnesota Department of Health page related to COVID-19 resources.

Health Care Facilities, Providers, and Insurance
Minnesota Department of Health page where specific information regarding rules and regulations are listed by provider type.

Long-term care staffing resources

Long-Term Care Contingency Staffing Plan Training Webinar (YouTube: 36 minutes)
This webinar was developed early in COVID and alludes to COVID and providing best practices on how to complete your contingency staffing plan.