Disaster Preparedness
Older Adults and Special Needs Individuals

Disaster can strike without warning forcing you to evacuate your home or even confine you to your home for an extended period of time. Basic utility services may be cut off.

Recent events, whether natural or man-made, remind us how quickly a disaster can turn lives upside down. If we have learned anything, it should be to have a plan of action that enables us to quickly respond when any sort of emergency strikes. Many different disasters can occur, including blackouts, fires, floods, mudslides, terrorism, tornadoes, and snow storms. It may be difficult to prepare for all of these, but two things are necessary for almost any disaster: an emergency action plan and an emergency supply kit.

At any time, we can lose power or other essential utilities, experience illness or injury, be forced to shelter or evacuate our home.  In larger events, it is possible emergency workers may be overwhelmed and unable to assist everyone who needs them.  It is common sense and our individual responsibility to be prepared to help ourselves.

Older adults and the disabled face challenges that are different from the rest of the adult population. The images of older Americans during Hurricane Katrina made this very clear and revealed significant weaknesses in how prepared we are to protect our most vulnerable citizens.

Certainly there should be federal, state, and community emergency plans, but we can't rely completely on the government or others. We should all have individual and family emergency plans in place. Your disaster plan can be simple and should include a plan in case you need to evacuate, a plan if you might shelter in place and a family communications plan. If you or any of your family members have special needs, be sure to think these issues through as well.  Pretend that the power has gone off at night, the house is on fire, or you are forced to leave your home quickly. Step through what everyone in the household would do and exactly where and how everyone would reunite if separated.  Creating a disaster plan will give you a sense of control in the event of a chaotic and frightening time. When you share your plan with your friends and family, everyone will be reassured in the event of an emergency.

Planning for a disaster may make the difference in your survival. Rescue personnel will respond but it may take time to reach everyone. Plan how to signal for help. You should have enough food and water on hand to survive three to five days.   Store enough oxygen, medications, battery power, etc. to meet any disability-related needs you may have.  You may wish to label your equipment and attach an instruction card on how to use and move an item. You should take action now so you are prepared. 

The American Red Cross and Homeland Security recommend that seniors and the disabled create a personal support network.  Members can be friends, relatives, neighbors, or co-workers; people you trust and are familiar with any disability you may have, and who could check to see if you need assistance.

Have an emergency plan and make lists of medical and emergency information in case you are unable to make your needs known.  You should include information about your medical providers, the names of medications you take and dosages, when you take a medication and the condition for which you take it, the prescribing doctor and the doctor’s phone number.  It is important to record any adaptive equipment you use, your allergies and sensitivities, and communication or cognitive difficulties you may have.  Also attach copies of health insurance cards and related information. Plan any special needs to accomplish evacuation. Practice how to quickly explain the best way to guide or move you and your adaptive equipment.  Be ready to give clear, specific instructions to rescue personnel either orally or in writing.

Helping those with special needs
Every family should be prepared to cope with disaster. To help insure the safety of your older or disabled family members, be sure your emergency action plan includes them. Whether they are residing in assisted living facilities or nursing homes, or are living independently, steps should be taken to prepare all family members for a disaster:

• Create disaster-supply kits that include items specific to your relatives' health and personal needs. Do they need an extra pair of eyeglasses, hearing aid batteries, extra wheelchair batteries, or a supply of oxygen?  Consider special equipment like wheelchairs, canes and walkers.  What personal hygiene items do they require?  If they are dependant on dialysis or other life-sustaining treatment, know the location of more than one facility. 
• Older adults should keep an emergency supply of prescription medications that can last at least a week.  After an emergency, they may not be able to get to a drugstore to get their medication. It's also smart to have physical copies of prescriptions from doctors.
• Make sure your older family member has the name and phone number of her insurance agent, as well as the numbers of non-local relatives and friends. Have a list of contact information for her doctors, as well as medical insurance and Medicare cards.
• Tucking a few small personal items, such as family photos, in an emergency kit, can help provide comfort.
• Make sure all family members know whom they should check in with following a disaster. Ask a friend or relative who lives at least 100 miles away to be your contact person.
• No matter how bad a situation is, many older people will refuse to leave their homes if it means leaving their pets behind. An emergency action plan should also be in place for animal companions. Having a pet carrier is recommended. Remember that shelters don't always take pets.
• Just because an older family member resides in a facility such as a nursing home does not guarantee being looked after in a crisis. Talk to those who manage the facility, or local emergency services people, to determine what may happen to your loved one if disaster strikes.

Disaster Supply Checklist
First Aid kit and essential medications
Battery-powered radio
Flashlight (s)
Extra batteries for radio and flashlights
Canned food and can opener
Bottled water (at least 3 gallons per person)
Clothing, including outdoor gear
Blankets/sleeping bags
Supplies of special items needed for elderly or disabled

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The Haywood Community Partnership is supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation®, www.rwjf.org through its Community Partnerships for Older Adults (CPFOA), www.cpfoa.org national initiative. Community Partnerships for Older Adults is a national program funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to help communities develop leadership, innovative solutions, and options to meet the needs of older adults over the long term