Natural disasters adversely affect people, especially seniors. Several reasons, such as financial difficulties and problems with mobility, make it hard for seniors to prepare for natural calamities. Here are some tips to make it easier for seniors to prepare for the occurrence of natural disasters:
Plan in advance
Assess your risks in terms of the likelihood of the area you reside in getting affected by a natural disaster
Determine your needs (the medicines you take regularly, your mobility, ability to drive, and the like)
Find resources (the services your local government, disaster planning office, or senior services agency provides)
Draft an evacuation plan (where you would shelter and the local evacuation routes)
Create a support network (choose the people you’ll be in regular touch with in advance)
Ready your home (analyze how you can make improvements to your home to prepare for natural disasters, such as weatherstripping it to combat winter storms)
Prepare for recovery (review what your insurance covers, document your valuables, and set up direct deposit of any benefits you receive, such as Social Security, pension, and disability benefits)
Assemble your emergency preparedness kit
The basics (pre-prepared food like canned goods, water, a radio, a first-aid kit, a flashlight, and spare batteries for various electronics)
Additional items (rain gear, clothes, blankets or sleeping bags, and personal care items like shampoo, toothbrush, soap, and so on)
Documents (legal documents like the deed to your home, financial records like a recent bank statement, and insurance documents)
Items for seniors (medical documents detailing your blood type, allergies, and the like, additional weeks’ medication supply, and essential medical equipment like spare pairs of glasses, spare oxygen tanks, and so on)
With some planning, preparation, and help from a support network, seniors can get through natural disasters with less difficulty.
