Ordinance would put defibrillators in nursing homes
8/29/2007An ordinance introduced yesterday in Toledo City Council would require Toledo nursing homes to have automatic external defibrillators.
Councilman Ellen Grachek proposed the ordinance after Dr. David Lindstrom, medical director for Lucas County Emergency Medical Services, noted more than a year ago that few Toledo nursing homes have the machines on hand.
The devices administer an electric shock to help restart a heart that is not beating properly.
Toledo fire Capt. Bill Hull yesterday told council at its agenda review meeting the machines are available in only two out of 19 nursing homes with Toledo addresses.
He said both of those are operated by the Arbors, which has facilities at 2920 Cherry St. and 7120 Port Sylvania Drive, which has a Toledo address but is in Sylvania Township.
Michelle Hoff, administrator of the Arbors at Cherry Street, said the facility has had one for about two years. She said it has saved lives.
Rick Rump, a spokesman for HCR Manor Care, a national nursing home company based in Toledo, said about half the facilities have the machines, but he couldn't say whether those included any local centers.
"It is a priority of our clinical services and they're in the process of rolling them out to each of our centers," Mr. Rump said.
Captain Hull said the machines are easy to use and cost about $1,500.
The legislation was referred to a committee for review before it is brought to the full council for a vote.
Among other proposed legislation discussed were measures to:
•Sell a city-owned parking lot at 616 East Broadway, at Starr Avenue, to Farzade Properties for $125,000.
•Acquire a 1.3-acre property on West Bancroft Street and turn it over to Toledo Botanical Garden. The city would use its parkland replacement fund to buy the parcel at 5410 West Bancroft, which has a home on it, for $217,000.
Janet Schroeder, executive director of the garden, said the lot would be landscaped to expand the visibility of the adjacent Bancroft entrance.