Emergency preparedness in senior care feels different heading into 2026.

A lot of administrators I talk to say the same thing, even if they say it a little differently: there’s less room for mistakes than there used to be.

For years, preparedness mostly lived in binders. Plans were reviewed once a year, drills were run, paperwork was filed. That approach still technically works, but it’s getting harder to rely on it alone.

Survey results move much faster now. Budgets are tighter. Emergencies don’t wait until plans feel finished. If anything, emergencies are showing up more often.

Looking Back at 2025: What Actually Changed

One of the most impactful shifts came in 2025 with updates to CMS survey processes and F-tag reporting. While the underlying Emergency Preparedness Rule didn’t change dramatically, how deficiencies are categorized and reported did.

Survey findings are being posted publicly much faster than they were in the past. Years ago, facilities often had time to address issues internally before results showed up online. That window has shrunk. Sometimes it’s barely there.

In real terms, that means:

• Less time to respond after a survey
• Not being ready to handle questions from families and corporate
• More pressure on administrators themselves

Emergency preparedness findings don’t just sit in a report anymore. They become public, and fast.

Where Surveyors Are Spending More Time

Surveyors aren’t just checking whether an emergency plan exists. They’re paying closer attention to whether it actually makes sense.

Lately, that’s showing up in a few familiar places:

• Training and drill documentation (and what changed afterward)
• Dedicated food and water reserves (3+ days)
• Evacuation and shelter-in-place plans that match staffing levels
• Assumptions about nights, weekends, and bad weather

Generic plans still pass sometimes. But when surveyors start asking follow-up questions, those plans can fall apart quickly.

Regulatory Pressure Isn’t Only Coming From CMS

CMS often sets the baseline, but states are tightening things up too.

Across different regions, facilities are seeing:

• Closer alignment with CMS emergency preparedness expectations
• More attention on hazard vulnerability assessments and risk reviews
• Higher expectations around 72-hour readiness
• Less patience from surveyors when they can see it’s just “paper compliance”

Having the document isn’t enough anymore. Surveyors want to see that facilities understand their own risks and have taken reasonable steps to deal with them.

Budget Constraints Are Shaping Preparedness Decisions

At the same time, most facilities are being asked to do more with less.

Operating budgets are tight. Labor is expensive. Capital approvals take longer. Emergency preparedness competes with daily operational needs, and it doesn’t always win.

That’s forcing a lot of administrators to rethink things:

• Can we get by another year with what we have?
• Are we rotating supplies too often?
• Are we getting the best price and terms with emergency supplies?
• Are we leaning on staff time we don’t really have?

Efficiency isn’t just a talking point anymore. It’s becoming necessary.

The Environmental Reality Isn’t Improving

If recent patterns hold, 2026 is likely to bring more of what facilities are already dealing with:

• More wildfires and smoke
• More flooding
• More severe storms
• More evacuations

Facilities that once felt “low risk” are now dealing with power outages, water issues, and supply chain delays. Even short disruptions can be very taxing on your staff.

Preparedness can’t be based on what used to happen. What used to be rare is starting to feel normal.

What to Watch as 2026 Moves Forward

A few trends are already hard to ignore:

• Survey timelines will likely keep shrinking
• Preparedness gaps will be harder to explain away
• Location-specific risks will matter more
• Last-minute vendor delivery reliance will draw more scrutiny
• Documentation will need to reflect reality, not just policy

Facilities that wait for surveys to uncover problems are taking on more risk than they probably realize.

Practical Next Steps

In this environment, self-assessment matters. Not because someone requires it, but because it’s often the only way to see gaps before someone else points them out.

Peak10’s Risk & Readiness Assessment Tool (RAT) was built to help senior care facilities spot issues that don’t always show up on paper:

• Supply gaps
• Documentation weak spots
• Training inconsistencies
• Power, water, and food assumptions
• Evacuation and staffing risks

It’s quick, practical, and free.

Try the new Risk & Readiness Assessment Tool (Beta)

Emergency readiness in 2026 isn’t about predicting every possible scenario. It’s about being honest about where things could fail — and dealing with those areas before they do.