emergency preparedness
From the California wildfires to Hurricane Beryl in the Gulf of Mexico to the tornadoes that devastated parts of Oklahoma and Iowa this year, the United States is no stranger to natural disasters.
And while you can take steps to protect yourself and your family during these events, you need to exercise a bit more caution if you are the caregiver of an older adult. Seniors are particularly vulnerable during weather events and need extra care during natural disasters.
Because of climate change and other factors, extreme weather events are becoming more common and more severe. And, with the number of Americans over 65 expected to more than double by 2040, preparing seniors for natural disasters has become more pressing. In fact, the U.S. National Institutes of Health even funded a study in 2022 to expand its research into how climate change and extreme weather events can affect seniors.
But caregivers and loved ones shouldn’t wait for an extreme weather event to happen before taking action.
Assess Their Needs
Before you can build an effective plan, you must first assess your loved one’s needs. You will need to consider both internal and external factors when gathering the information you’ll need to create an emergency action plan.
Start by writing down a list of the medical conditions your loved one has that may require special care. You should become familiar with all the medications your senior takes regularly. Write them down on an easy-to-reach list so that emergency service personnel or emergency room physicians can make decisions about how to treat your loved one.
You should also consider your senior’s physical and cognitive limitations so that you can develop a plan that is best suited for them.
Finally, you need to become familiar with the types of natural disasters that are common in your loved one’s location. For example, if your senior lives in Florida, you’ll need to gather information about what to do if a hurricane makes landfall, or if your senior lives in a colder climate, you may need to consider how often their location gets blizzards or major snow storms.
Create Plans and Discuss Actions
Once you have gathered this information and assessed your senior’s situation, it’s time to sit down with your senior and create and discuss your action plan.
Your plans and discussion should cover:
An emergency protocol: While some natural disasters are known ahead of time, like when a hurricane is expected to make landfall, many weather events cannot be predicted. Therefore, your action plan should include the steps your loved one should take in both cases. For example, if a hurricane is imminent, your loved one can make plans to evacuate, but if a sudden disaster occurs, your senior may need to know the best place to shelter in their home.
A list of contacts: You should also provide your senior with a list of agencies that can help in an emergency, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the local American Red Cross. The contacts list should also include the numbers of nearby friends or family members who can help during or after a natural disaster.
An emergency supply kit: This kit should include enough essential medications, non-perishable food and water to last your loved one at least three days. Other useful items can include batteries for hearing aids, an extra pair of eyeglasses or contacts, and a waterproof bag containing the contacts and medication lists you have created, along with identification and insurance cards.
An evacuation plan: This should be designed with your senior’s challenges in mind. If your loved one has mobility issues, you may need to practice your evacuation plan so there are no surprises during a real emergency. This plan should include escape routes from the home. If your senior has pets, you will also need to keep this in mind when selecting emergency shelters.
After the Event
While the direct threat from a weather event or natural disaster is usually short-lived, the devastation they cause can last for days, weeks or even months.
If your loved one’s home has been damaged, but is habitable, you may need to decide a course of action that is ideal for your senior. While you may be able to live comfortably in a damaged home while repairs are made, your senior might need to stay with a relative or in a shelter until their home has all its amenities.
Because of health issues, spending time in a home that has spotty electric service or water damage is more difficult for seniors. They may need to power life-saving devices, and they can become more susceptible to disease triggered by water damage or exposure.
The Administration for Community Living is another good resource you can use to help your senior after a disaster. Their Eldercare Locator can put your loved one and their caregivers in touch with local support resources to help with meals, home care or transportation.
Finally, keep an eye on your loved one to make sure they are emotionally healthy. Living through a horrible event, having a home destroyed by disaster, or losing friends and relatives as a result of the event is tough on everyone but can be especially devasting to seniors.
Older Americans may have health issues that make it harder for them to recover, or, because they live on a fixed income, it may take longer to get all the home repairs they need. Be prepared to help them seek emotional counseling if necessary.
Whatever you do, do not wait until the last minute to begin discussing an emergency preparedness plan with your senior. We can’t always predict when a natural disaster will happen, but we can make it easier for our loved ones if we plan ahead.
Caring Senior Service founder & CEO Jeff Salter began his career in senior care in 1991 working for a home health care agency in Odessa, Texas. Four months later, he started his own senior care service to provide seniors with the non-medical care they need to stay at home. In 2003, Caring Senior Service began offering franchises and today has locations in more than 50 markets nationwide.
Caring Senior Service founder & CEO Jeff Salter began his career in senior care in 1991 working for a home health care agency in Odessa, Texas. Four months later, he started his own senior care service to provide seniors with the non-medical care they need to stay at home. In 2003, Caring Senior Service began offering franchises and today has locations in over 50 markets nationwide.