Regardless of where you live it’s a guarantee that we’ll have some rough weather at some point. And that is just the weather related “emergencies”! Have you made your plans? Do those plans include anyone you know that might have a hard time taking care of themselves in a storm or disaster, like our senior and disabled family members and friends? With proper planning, some of the gruesome and haunting things that happened in Hurricane Katrina can be avoided when unexpected emergency situations strike.
Family caregivers and their loved ones need to take three steps to prepare for emergency situations and to do these NOW, before the watches and warnings start or something completely unexpected happens, and it’s really too late for the last minute scramble to the hardware store or grocery store or pharmacy!
Develop a Plan: A plan should consider all types of emergency situations including power outages, floods, terrorist attacks and natural disasters.
· Support –Who will be a part of the support network during an emergency - family, friends, neighbors, County resources, or a private duty in-home care company such as Right at Home?
· Consider Health Issues – Families must keep in mind the elderly or disabled individual’s specific needs and health issues. Are they currently on dialysis, receiving wound care at home, or getting infusion therapy of any kind? Do they need oxygen, electricity, refrigeration, or meals delivered on a regular basis? All Home Health Agencies and Hospices are required to plan for these emergencies, but not all seniors or disabled individuals are receiving services from these types of organizations, so support in these areas needs to be considered.
· Logistics – The plan should clearly consider how the individual should get help in a disaster situation; whether help comes to them or if they should go to a designated safe haven such as a shelter or hospital. Hillsborough County has a Special Needs Shelter which provides for those who need electricity or skilled care support on a frequent basis, however the Shelter has limited space and one must be approved prior to an emergency in order to be included. Ditto on a hospital; they can’t just take someone who has no where else to go as they will have the most critically ill and complicated cases in their care. FYI, if needed and approved, the County will also supply transportation to the Special Needs Shelter or a Red Cross Shelter.
· Communication – How are you going to know whether this person is okay or not as the emergency unfolds? More than one contact number is best, and a great plan is an out-of-town (preferably out-of-Florida) contact that is the central contact for everyone concerned. That way, if there is limited phone service in Tampa, family members and friends can contact this out-of-state person and let them know they are okay and that person can keep everyone else concerned up-to-date on unfolding events.
Emergency Kits: Basic emergency supplies should always be kept accessible such as water, non-perishable food items, batteries, flashlights, radio, and first aid kits.
· Extra Medications – A minimum of three days worth of extra medications should be kept on hand as well as medical equipment ranging from oxygen tanks to eye glasses and hearing aids.
· Backup Power Sources – Battery powered back-ups for any special medical equipment should be installed on devices that require it.
· Contacts – The kit should include a list of contacts; telephone numbers for family, friends, neighbors, medical professionals and caregivers.
Important Information: When in an emergency situation it is important to keep medical and other records available.
· Location –Those in the support network should know where to go to get access to important documents and records.
· Necessary Information – Be sure and include information such as medical history, allergies, insurance forms, medical providers and a list of medications taken on a daily basis. Also include important financial documents.
Taking the time now to make a plan for our family members who need assistance before a disaster, when things are calm and preparations can be made rationally, will pay off many times over when emergency situations occur.
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