SANTEE, S.C. — Magnolias of Santee assisted living facility has a history of stepping in to provide housing for senior evacuees after a storm. A few years ago, the facility housed displaced residents from a facility in Myrtle Beach after a storm hit the area.
“It was like a dorm party in that people were sleeping everywhere and you know you do what you got to do," said management director Scott Lockwood. "Your building is always a mess because all of a sudden you have double the population and no place to put other clothes, but you make do, you know that it’s only temporary."
Now they're on standby and prepared in case senior evacuees in assisted living facilities along our state's coast are displaced from Hurricane Ian. In that case, staff from those facilities would come with those residents to assist in offering care and meeting their needs.
“We’d rearrange furnishings. We’d turn the living room and all the common areas into dormitories. We always have extra food available.”
Magnolias has partnerships with facilities in Walterboro and Georgia in case their own residents need to evacuate. Medical records, medications, and other essential items would come with them on the road.
“A lot of our residents don’t understand and we have to break it down for them. We deal with dementia on a daily basis so you have to let them know that they’re secure, they’re safe, and just let them know what’s going on," said administrator Kimberly Bishop.