FEMA Help Is Still Available

BATON ROUGE, La. – It is now more than a month since the record flooding and storms of August caused widespread damage throughout Louisiana. Many families and individuals lost their home or residence and were forced to find other solutions for their shelter. If you or anyone you know is still having problems finding suitable accommodations, it is not too late to register with FEMA for assistance with your housing needs.

FEMA cannot duplicate insurance payments, but survivors should register even if they have insurance because underinsured applicants may receive help after their claims have been settled. And remember that FEMA grants do not have to be repaid. FEMA assistance is nontaxable and will not affect your eligibility for Social Security, Medicaid or other federal benefits.

Applying for disaster assistance is essentially a two-step process – registering with FEMA and completing a U.S. Small Business Administration disaster loan application. This process ensures that you will be considered for all programs you may be eligible for. There is never any charge for registering or applying. If approved for the loan, you are under no obligation to accept it. But the examination of your SBA application will determine what other types of assistance you may be eligible for.

Disaster survivors may register the following ways:

  • Online at DisasterAssistance.gov with any computer, smartphone or tablet.
  • By phoning 800-621-3362 (FEMA). Applicants who use 711 or Video Relay Service may also call 800-621-3362. Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use a TTY may call 800-462-7585. The toll-free numbers are open from
    7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. Multilingual operators are available.
  • At a disaster recovery center. To find the nearest one, go online to the disaster recovery center locator at asd.fema.gov/inter/locator.

A free multilingual guide to the types of assistance available can be found at fema.gov/help-after-disaster.

Various forms of housing assistance are available to survivors of the Louisiana flood, from voluntary agencies, grants from FEMA, loans from the Small Business Association, the State’s Shelter at Home program, Transitional Sheltering Assistance, to long-term recovery led by HUD.

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FEMA Help Is Still Available

Health Department Operating Shelter for Functional and Access Needs Residents

Acting Health Commissioner Darice Plaskett announced that the Department of Health’s Functional and Access Needs Shelter is opened and accepting residents at the Charles Harwood Medical Complex for persons needing medical assistance during emergency evacuation situations. 

Plaskett said that the intent is to provide, to the extent possible under emergency conditions, an environment in which the current level of health of persons with functional and access needs is sustained within the capability of available resources. The shelter will be opened at 7 p.m. on St. Croix.

Functional and access needs are independent individuals with special medical support equipment needs or receive care in the home from a family member, she said.

“Those eligible for the [shelter] have physical or mental condition that require medical/nursing oversight that cannot be accommodated or provided for in a general population shelter,” Plaskett said.

Functional and Access Needs persons should bring medical equipment, such as oxygen tanks, if necessary and all medication and dietary supplies. 

Further, when a person requiring functional and access needs care is ordered to evacuate, he or she should bring a caregiver with them to the shelter who will be expected to remain with the Functional and Access Needs person. 

Plaskett said that Department of Health nurses are assigned to staff the shelter to assist individuals and their caregivers as needed for basic support services. The nursing staff will provide support within their scope of practice based on their training and qualifications and are not expected to provide total care beyond their professional level of expertise. A DOH physician will supervise the nurses.

The following are some of the criteria for Functional and Access Needs.

People with minor health/medical conditions that require professional observation, assessment and maintenance

People with contagious health conditions that require precautions or isolation which cannot be handled in a general population shelter

People with chronic conditions that require assistance with activities of daily living but do not require hospitalization

People with regular need for medications and/or regular vital sign readings and who are unable to do so without professional assistance

www.healthvi.org

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Health Department Operating Shelter for Functional and Access Needs Residents