Disasters can happen at any moment. By planning ahead, you can avoid waiting in long lines for critical supplies, and you will also have essential items if you need to evacuate. But if you have an elderly loved one living with you or nearby, there are some things you need to consider when preparing an emergency kit.
Motility Aids
If your loved ones are wheelchair-bound or bed-bound, include detailed plans on how they will evacuate, if necessary. For instance, if they are using a motorized wheelchair, have a manual wheelchair at the ready just in case.
Durable Medical Equipment
Always make sure your loved ones have durable medical equipment such as blood sugar monitors, nebulizers, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices, or therapeutic oxygen equipment because many emergency shelters don’t have these.
Visual Aids
Loved ones, who are visually impaired may need some extra equipment, which is used to assist them. An extra cane and a pair of eyeglasses should always be at the ready. Visual aids are also helpful if and when the path around the home is blocked after a disaster.
Hygiene Products and Supplies
Elderly loved ones have specific personal hygiene supplies that they need. Always be sure there’s ample stock of incontinence supplies, latex gloves, and bathing products in their homes. You may also want to add paper towels, toilet paper, sanitizers, and disinfectant sprays to their kit.
Identification And Health Documents
Back up important documents for emergencies. Losing important personal papers can be a distressing consequence of a disaster. You may make copies or scan these papers, save in a flash drive, or put them in an emergency folder to be included in the emergency kit. Aside from the personal records, identification cards, power of attorney documents, advance directives, and a complete medication list, you may also keep copies of the deed or lease of the home, insurance policies, and financial documents.
Prescription Medications
Have all your loved ones’ medicines in their kit so they won’t skip on medication despite the tumultuous weather and inaccessible or closed pharmacies. Just make sure to talk to their doctors to request an extra week of supply of all their prescription medications. In addition, dispose of any expired medicines in their emergency kit.
Communication Plan
Since your family and friends can’t be together when disaster strikes, make sure to have a plan on how to contact one another or agree upon a safe place where you all can meet if it’s possible to travel. Create a phone number list, which includes all the important contacts like family members, doctors, and local shelters.
Emergency Care Plan
If your loved ones are in an assisted living community, always ask for their emergency protocols. In addition, formulate backup plans to help them respond quickly in emergency situations. Make sure to include in the list all the information about your loved one in one place so that you can get it quickly and easily.
Experience First-Class Assisted Living Community at Mariposa
During emergencies, we, at Mariposa, are always ready to assist your loved ones residing in our community. We ensure foolproof protocols and guidelines to be followed so that everyone can be safe during disasters and accidents. Our exclusive senior living programs make that possible. We have trusted and well-trained team members to assist our residents with their needs.