The Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills in Hollywood, Florida is home to 115 patients. However after Hurricane Irma knocked out power in the area, it has led to the deaths of six elderly residents, most likely due to lack of air conditioning during hot weather.

According to Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief in a press conference on Wednesday, three residents died in the facility, while three other residents, who were moved to the Memorial Regional Hospital across the road, were declared dead in the hospital. Sharief added that she has been concerned about the loss of power to facilities where the elderly and sensitive patients are vulnerable to the heat.

Police and Fire-Rescue head to nursing home

It was at around 4 a.m. on Wednesday that police received a call that some of the rehabilitation center’s patients were in distress. The Deputy Chief of Broward County Fire-Rescue, Timothy Keefe, said their officers were assisting in the evacuation of the facility.

According to police, the causes of the residents’ deaths are not yet confirmed. However, the Miami Herald quotes Hollywood Police Chief Tomas Sanchez saying in a news conference on Wednesday morning that police are conducting a criminal investigation into the deaths at the nursing home. Sanchez also said officials will be checking the around 42 assisted living facilities in various areas of the city to check for other patients in distress.

Three out of six nursing home victims named

The medical examiner’s office has so far identified three of the six victims as Gail Nova, 71, Estella Hendricks, 71 and Carolyn Eatherly, 78.

Local 10 reports that following the deaths, 115 seniors were evacuated from the nursing home with city spokeswoman Raelin Storey saying some were suffering respiratory distress. The Larkin Community Hospital next door also saw 18 patients relocated.

While it is unclear when the center lost power, the administrator of the home, Jorge Carballo, said the transformer which powered the air conditioning system in the facility had failed due to the prolonged power outage.

He said administration at the center was in communication with both the Governor’s Office and Florida Power & Light since the start of the hurricane and is investigating the tragic and unfortunate outcome.

Carballo added that while the facility does have a back-up generator, it does not power the air conditioning system. While one of the transformers came on following the storm, the second that powers air conditioning in the facility was damaged during the storm and is not working.

Gov. Rick Scott to demand answers

The Sun Sentinel quotes Florida Gov. Rick Scott as saying he will be “aggressively” demanding answers as to how the tragic event happened. He added that each facility caring for patients should take every precaution and action to keep those patients safe, especially those suffering poor health.
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