Emergency Preparedness for Older Persons

• Assemble essential supplies. Collect a minimum of 3 day supply of water (1 gallon a day) and easy to prepare food. Food items like soup, canned meat and fruit, crackers and canned juice would be good choices. Create a disaster-supply kits that include items specific to your health and personal needs. Remember things such as an extra pair of eye glasses, hearing aid batteries, and extra wheelchair batteries, supply of oxygen and extra personal hygiene items.
• Stock up on prescription medications. Keep on hand an emergency supply of prescription medications that can last at least a week. After an emergency drugstores may not be open to get medications. It is also important to have a hard copy of all the medications taken.
• Organize key documents and phone numbers. Have a hard copy of the names and numbers of insurance agent, numbers of family members, numbers of non-local relatives and friends. Have a list of contact information of doctors, pharmacy, and medical insurance. Also, have a copy of insurance cards including Medicare cards.
• Include personal items for comfort. Some people no matter how capable can become disorientated in disaster situation, tucking a few small personal items, such as family photos, in an emergency kit; can be helpful in a stressful time.
• Establish a communication strategy. Make sure all family members know whom they should check in with following a disaster. Remember to have out-of-state contact because local phone lines often get jammed in a crisis. Purchase a prepaid phone card and put it in your emergency kit.
• Create an emergency plan for pets. Have pet carriers handy. Get in touch with a local animal shelter or emergency management office, or talk with the local veterinarian to find out what options are out there for pets if they must be left behind.
• Have a list of current family health information: allergies, medications, children’s weights, ages/birthdates. See Family Information Form