Disasters Don’t Wait. Be Prepared!

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(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Did you know that National Preparedness Month is observed each September to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies? This year, Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Ready Campaign theme is “Take Control in 1, 2, 3”. Though preparedness is for everyone, this year’s campaign focuses on preparing older adults and their caregivers for all kinds of hazards including floods, fires, earthquakes, and more. Several factors make older adults more vulnerable to the impacts of disasters, especially if they are living alone, are low-income, have a disability, or live in rural areas.

If you are an older adult or there is someone in your life who is (like a neighbor, friend, or family member), here are some tips and resources for preparing for the unexpected.

1. Assess your needs.

An important first step in preparedness is understanding the risks you may encounter – big and small. Knowing what you may face will help you assess your needs and get you started on your preparedness journey. Learn about the types of disasters that could happen in your community, sign up for alerts and warnings, and think about what needs you have.

  • Do you have any medical conditions or dietary restrictions that require specific care or medication?
  • Do you have mobility challenges or need assistance with transportation if there was an evacuation?
  • Do you have medical equipment that requires electricity?

Think about how to prepare for your needs to be met and make sure your loved ones and caregivers are aware of your plan.

2. Make a plan.

Now that you’ve assessed your needs, it’s time to make a plan. Because disasters and emergencies can strike with no warning, it is vital to have a plan and be prepared. It is also essential to create a support network. Though a support network can look different for everyone, it might consist of family, friends, caregivers, and neighbors. Include these people in your planning and practice with them. Make sure at least one person in your support network has a spare key to your home, knows where your emergency kit is, and knows how to use lifesaving equipment or administer medicine. Additional things to consider when making a plan include:

  • What is your communication plan for notifying loved ones about the emergency?
  • Do you need transportation assistance or additional travel time if you need to evacuate? Identify an accessible evacuation route and shelter and plan for transportation assistance if needed in advance.
  • Don’t forget your pets or service animals. Not all shelters accept pets, so plan for alternatives and consider asking friends or loved ones outside of your immediate area if they can help.

3. Build a kit.

After an emergency, you may need to survive on your own for several days. Make sure you have your own food, water, and other essential supplies to last for several days. Some important things to consider including in your emergency kit as an older adult include:

  • Medicine and medical supplies (a week-long supply, if possible)
  • Assistive devices (hearing aids, mobility aids, eyeglasses) and spare batteries
  • Care plan – a list of prescriptions, dosage information, and medical providers
  • Important documents (identification, insurance cards, wills, power of attorney documents, deeds, etc.)
  • Contact list (people you want or need to be connected to during an emergency)

Emergency planning can look different for everyone. Check out this preparedness guide and emergency kit checklist for additional tips, ideas, and worksheets. Take time today to assess your needs, make a plan, and build a kit!

Additional preparedness resources and information:

FEMA Disaster Preparedness Guide for Older Adults

Plan Ahead for Disasters | Ready.gov

Older Adults | Ready.gov

Older Adults Emergency Preparedness | American Red Cross

Preparing Makes Sense for Older Americans – YouTube

Know Your Family Health Hazards

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Guest post by Skagit County Emergency Management

Emergency Management is mostly about risk management. The theory is that if you know what your risks are, you can plan for a better response when an emergency hits and be able to recover more easily. Risk management works alongside prevention, protection and mitigation, which reduce risks before an emergency; all are vital to emergency management. We have a variety of major hazards in Skagit County — flood, volcano, fire, storms, tsunami, and hazardous materials to name a few. Do you know what your personal and family hazards are? Including any health hazards you know of in your family plan is an important component of risk management.

Current events have shown how important it is to be prepared for health hazards. Along with the facemasks and hand sanitizer, what can you do to protect your family’s health during an emergency?

First, know what your family’s health hazards are are. They could include allergies, diabetes, respiratory illness or necessary medications. Any medical condition that requires specific medication or medical equipment or that gets worse from stress can be a health hazard.

Second, include your family’s health hazards in your emergency planning. Know what can trigger the condition or make it worse, what the reactions look like, and what’s needed to make it better. If possible, have back-up medicine or equipment in your evacuation kit. I know it’s not always possible, especially for equipment. At a minimum, include the following in your kit:

  • A list of all medications with dosage requirements and prescription information
  • A list of equipment, including where it came from and any required settings
  • Non-medical emergency provisions
  • A copy of your medical insurance information and doctor contact information with your important documents
  • Some medical conditions can decrease your immune response, so you may want to increase your supplies of facemasks and hand sanitizer

What does that look like in practice? If you have allergies that have an anaphylactic response, keep an epinephrine injection (commonly called an EpiPen) in your kit and be extra cautious of triggers. If it’s a reaction that can be triggered by skin absorption, have gloves in your kit. If you have diabetes, have a list of medications, what kind of insulin and needles you use, the location of your glucose meter, and some appropriate emergency food for when your blood sugar gets low. Let your family know what it feels like when your sugar is low and what they can watch out for.

Preparing for health hazards doesn’t end once the emergency is over — it includes being aware of potential triggers afterwards. Medical equipment may need to be replaced; having a list of where the equipment came from and any special settings needed can speed up replacing it. Cleaning products, mold, and other contaminants can trigger medical conditions, so be alert for medical reactions. Long-term stress can also aggravate some conditions.

Health hazards come in all shapes and sizes. Planning for an emergency should include health hazards to help you respond and recover from the emergency. Knowing what the triggers are, what reactions to look out for, and what’s needed to combat that reaction can help save a family member. It’s always a good idea to take First Aid and CPR training, too!