People of every age need a plan of action in case of an emergency. Although you may be in good health, you probably aren't as agile as you used to be. Or you might have a disability that can present additional challenges. Age and disabilities do not have to be debilitating in emergencies. By planning ahead, you"ll feel more confident about protecting yourself during an emergency, whether it is a house fire, power outage, hurricane or attack on the community. Now is the time to get prepared.
Anyone who is a senior or has a disability, as well as anyone who lives with, works with or assists a senior or a person with a disability can benefit from these tips.
Form a Self-Help Team
You can be ready for an emergency by creating in advance a self-help team that will know how to best assist you when a disaster or emergency takes place.
- Members of your team can be relatives, neighbors, co-workers or friends. They should be people you trust and who know your capabilities and needs so that they can assist you within minutes.
- Do not depend on any one person. Form support relationships with several individuals. Identify a minimum of three people where you regularly spend a significant part of your week: job, home, school, volunteer site, senior center, etc.
- If you employ a personal attendant or use the services of a home health agency or other in-home service, discuss with this person or people a plan for what you will do in case of emergency.
- Together decide what you will be able to do for yourself and what assistance you will need in the event of an emergency or disaster.
- Give one or more people on your team a copy of your house key and show the team the location of your emergency kit. Give a copy of your emergency information list, medical information list, disability-related supplies and evacuation and disaster plans to everyone on your self-help team.
- Agree and practice a communications system regarding how to contact each other in an emergency. Do not count on the telephones working.
In spite of your best planning, sometimes a personal support network must be created on the spot. For example, you may find yourself in a shelter and need to assemble help for immediate assistance. Think about what you will need, how you want it done and what kind of person or people you would select.
Customize an Emergency Kit
An emergency kit will give you quick access to necessities that might not otherwise be available if you have to evacuate. Keep your emergency kit in a safe, reachable place where you and your self-help team can easily access it at a moment's notice. The supplies in your kit should allow you and your team to leave your home quickly and give you the capability to survive in another location for a minimum of three days.
Basic emergency kit supplies:
- A brightly colored bag or backpack in which to store your belongings
- Battery-powered or crank radio and flashlight, with extra batteries
- Non-perishable food that will last for three days and does not require heating or refrigeration (granola bars, canned fruit, ready-to-eat canned meals).
- A manual can opener.
- At least a gallon of water per person per day for three days, stored in plastic bottles. If you are taking medication, consider storing more water than suggested.
- First Aid Kit and guide
- Blanket or compact sleeping bag
- Personal hygiene products (toothbrush, soap, etc.)
- One complete change of clothes including sturdy, comfortable shoes, heavy gloves and raingear
- Emergency medical information sheet (see below)
- Backup medical equipment (oxygen, hearing aids, mobility aids, etc.) as needed
- Whistle (to help others locate you if necessary)
- Cash (ATMs won"t work if the electricity is out.)
- Copies of personal ID and proof of residency
For those who use battery powered or electronic assistance, keep an extra, charged battery and even a manual wheelchair near your emergency kit. In case you wheelchair must be transported, know the size and weight of your wheelchair and if it is collapsible.
Keep a medical information sheet in your bag. The list should include instructions for medications or devices along with copies of important medical papers. Update this list any time information changes. Your list should include:
- Medicine prescriptions and dosage instructions
- Blood type and any allergies
- Eyeglass prescription
- Medicare cards and medical insurance papers
- Style and serial numbers of a pacemaker or other medical devices and use instructions
- Contact information for your doctors and pharmacist
Store extra, up-to-date eyeglasses, hearing-aids, oxygen and prescriptions in your kit.
Tips for Fire Safety
- Plan possible escape routes. In advance, plan routes out of each room and notify your self-help team. If you cannot use stairways, make special arrangements for help and never use elevators.
- Test your smoke detector regularly and change the batteries at least once a year.
- When there is a fire, do not fight it! Leave immediately and call for help from a neighbor's phone.
- Drop to the floor and crawl. Most fire fatalities are due to breathing toxic fumes and smoke. The cleanest air is near the floor.
- If you are in a wheelchair and cannot get out of your house, stay by a window and near the floor. Signal for help.
- Feel any door before opening it with the back of your hand. If the door is hot, find another way out.
Be Prepared To Evacuate
- Know evacuation plans for all the places where you spend time. Many buildings have floor marshals. Be sure to let them know what special assistance you may need in an emergency.
- Make alternate transportation plans; the means of transportation you usually use may not be available.
- Teach members of your self-help team how to operate your equipment. Teach them how to disengage gears of a power wheelchair and how to best lift or transfer you.
- If you are deaf or hard of hearing, practice having members of your team communicate important information to you through pre-designated gestures or other means.
- If you are blind or have low vision, have members of your team practice guiding and directing you.
- Include service animals in all drills so that they become familiar with exit routes.
- If you are at home, take your emergency kit and medical information when you evacuate!
- Call a local medical or senior transportation service, or your self-help team, if you require special transportation assistance. In some communities, a call to the local police department will alert authorities that you require assistance.
- Notify shelter authorities in advance or upon arrival of any need you may have or if a service animal will be accompanying you.
Develop a Disaster Plan
- Decide where you will reunite with family, friends or caregivers after a disaster. Identify two places to meet: one outside your home and another outside your neighborhood such as a library, community center or place of worship.
- Notify everyone on your self-help team of the address and phone number of all meeting places.
- Know and practice all possible exit routes out of your home and neighborhood.
- Designate an out-of-state friend or relative that your team, family and friends can call if you are separated during a disaster. If circuits are busy or local cell towers are down, a long-distance call may be easier to make and can help you communicate with others.
- If you have home healthcare service, include caregivers when developing your plan and learn your homecare agency's emergency plan.
- Always take your emergency kit and medical information when you evacuate!
- If you receive dialysis or other medical treatments, find out your provider"s emergency plan, including where your back-up site is located.
Forming a self-help team, customizing an emergency kit and knowing steps to take for an emergency or disaster will prepare anyone no matter what their physical abilities or age.
It is not only important to prepare yourself but also to prepare your loved ones. For more information on preparedness, visit us at www.nyredcross.org or contact us at 1-877-REDCROSS.
Communication: Practice Assertiveness Skills
Take charge and practice how to quickly explain to people the best way to guide you, or to move you and your adaptive equipment safely and rapidly.
Be prepared to give clear, specific and concise instructions and directions to rescue personnel, such as:
"Please take my—
Oxygen tank.
Wheelchair.
Gamma globulin from the freezer.
Insulin from the refrigerator.
Communication device from under the bed.”
“Please do not straighten my knees. They are fused in a bent position.”
“I am deaf. Please write things down for me.”
“I am blind/visually impaired. Please let me grasp your hand firmly.”
Practice giving these instructions with the fewest number of words in the least amount of time. For example, the traditional "fire fighter's carry" may be hazardous for some people with some respiratory weakness. You need to be able to give brief instructions regarding how to move you.
Be prepared to request an accommodation from disaster response personnel. For example, let a responder or relief worker know if you are unable to wait in long lines for extended periods of time, for items like water, food and disaster relief assistance. You may also want to write down the explanation ahead of time.
Service Animal and Pet Supplies
Store a copy of the appropriate licenses and vaccination information for your service animal or pet in your emergency supply kit. You'll need this information in order to be permitted to keep your service animal in an emergency shelter. Remember that due to health regulations, non-service animals may not be allowed in a shelter.
Consider your service animal or pet when customizing your kit by storing extra water, pet food, bowl, leash, ID tags and plastic bags. ID tags should list both your home phone number and that of your out-of-town contact.
Keep in mind, service animals may become confused, panicked, frightened or disoriented in and after a disaster. Keep them confined or securely leashed or harnessed. A leash/harness is an important item for managing a nervous or upset animal. Be prepared to use alternative ways to negotiate your environment with your animal.
Additional Information about Equipment and Supplies
If You Use a Wheelchair or Scooter
- Keep a patch kit and a can of a seal-in-air product in your portable disaster supplies kit to repair flat tires, unless they are puncture-proof. Also, keep an extra supply of inner tubes.
- Keep a pair of heavy gloves in your emergency supplies kit to use while wheeling or making your way over glass and debris.
- In earthquake-prone areas, keep the wheelchair wheels locked and the wheelchair close to your bed at night to be sure it does not move or fall over.
If You Use a Motorized Wheelchair or Scooter
- Have an extra battery. A car battery also can be used with a wheelchair, but will not last as long as a wheelchair's deep-cycle battery.
- Check with your vendor to know if you can charge your battery by either connecting jumper cables to a vehicle battery or connecting batteries to a converter that plugs into a vehicle"s cigarette lighter. Caution: Charge only one battery at a time.
- If available, store a lightweight manual wheelchair for backup.
If You Use Any Life Support Systems
- Secure your life support equipment to prevent damage from falling.
- Discuss with your vendor alternative power sources that will provide you with support for five to seven days.
- If appropriate, obtain a generator. To run generators in an emergency, fuel must be safely stored and the generator must be operated in an open area to ensure good ventilation. A 2,000 to 2,500-watt gas-powered portable generator can power a refrigerator and several lamps. Some generators can be plugged into house wiring systems. It is important to first consult your utility company before you plug a generator into house wiring.
- Utility Company Registry: Many power companies keep a list of people dependent on powered life support systems and tag their meters in order to restore power as soon as possible after a power outage. In some instances, this list is prioritized by how long a person is able to tolerate remaining without a life support system. Registering for this service may qualify you for a discount rate. Never count on quick power restoration. Utility personnel may not be able to get to you after a major disaster.
If You Use Oxygen Tanks
- Check with your provider to determine whether a reduced flow rate may be used to prolong the life of the system in the event of a disaster. Record on your equipment the reduced flow numbers so that you can easily refer to them.
- Be keenly aware of oxygen safety; avoid areas where gas leaks or open flames may be present.
- Post "Oxygen in Use” signs.
- Keep the shut-off switch for oxygen equipment near you so you can get to it quickly in case of emergency.
If You are Blind or Have a Visual Disability
- If you have some vision, place security lights in each room to light exit paths. Security lights plug into electrical wall outlets and light up automatically if there is a loss of power. Depending on the type, the lights will operate automatically for one to six hours and can be turned off manually and used as a short-lasting flashlight.
- Store high-powered flashlights with side beams and extra batteries.
- Keep extra canes or white canes in strategic, consistent and secured locations at your job, home, school, volunteer site, etc. to help you maneuver around obstacles and hazards.
- Keep a spare cane with your emergency kit.
If You are Deaf or Have a Hearing Loss
- Call your city or county office to see what emergency communication plan the government offers for your area.
- If your city or county does not have a plan, it is important to make connections with your neighbors. Ask your neighbors if they are willing to help communicate with you in an emergency and let them know the best way to assist you.
- Know your local Emergency Alert System (EAS) TV stations and find out if they close caption their emergency broadcasts. It’s important to have a battery-powered television so that you can view these broadcasts without power.
- Sign up for free to receive immediate emergency alerts that can be sent to you as an email, text message or page to your computer, pager or PDA at www.emergencyemail.org
- NOAA has a special radio model that comes with strobe attachments and limited text screen display. These radios provide one of the earliest warnings of weather and other emergencies and are programmed to alert you to hazards in your specific area. Go to www.nws.noaa.gov for more information.
- Consider carrying a pre-printed card that has key phrases to help you communicate with fire-fighters and other emergency personnel. Some useful phrases are:
“I use American Sign Language and need an interpreter.”
“I need announcements written or signed.”
“I cannot hear sirens or alarms.” - Extra supplies you will need in your emergency kit: Notebook and pen, extra batteries for any visual or sensory alerts, vibrating/strobe alarm clock with extra batteries, extra pager batteries, extra TTY batteries, car charger for pager/communication devices, extra hearing aid or implant batteries, portable battery-powered television
If You Have a Speech-related or Communication Disability
- Consider buying a power converter if you use a laptop computer to communicate. A power converter allows most laptops (12 volts or less) to be operated from the cigarette lighter on the dashboard of a vehicle.
- Be sure to have pencil and paper with you as a backup communication resource.
- If you use an augmentative communication device that allows you to communicate by voice, be sure to keep it close to you at night in a safe place.
- Store copies of a word or letter board in all of your disaster supplies kits, your wallet, purse, etc. Preprint key phrases you would use in case of an emergency on the board.
If You Use Self-administered Medical Treatments
- Keep in mind that traffic delays and/or severe weather hazards can happen when you do not expect them. Be sure to carry the equipment and fluids (temperature controlled) you will need when traveling.
Tips for People with Cognitive or Psychiatric Disabilities
- Practice what to do during and after a fire, emergency or disaster. Practice leaving places where you spend time (job, home, school, volunteer assignment, etc.) until you feel comfortable and confident that you will know what to do in the future.
- There are a number of emotional reactions that may occur or become more severe in an emergency or disaster. These reactions include: confusion, memory difficulties, agitation, paranoia, fear, panic, pacing, shouting, depression, withdrawal, irritability, anxiety, shaking and sleep disturbance. Think through the types of reactions you may have and plan strategies for coping with the reactions.
- Seek input from your therapist or service provider.
- Be prepared to have your self-help team offer emotional support so you can acknowledge and express feelings.
- Think through what a rescuer might need to know about you and be prepared to say it briefly or have a written copy. Examples would be:
- I cannot read. I communicate using an augmentative communication device. I can point to pictures or words I have in my wallet or emergency kit.
- Please speak slowly and use simple language; I have difficulty understanding.
- I forget easily. Please write down information for me.
- I have a psychiatric disability and I may become confused. Help me find a quiet corner and I should be fine in about 10 minutes.
- I have a panic disorder. If I panic, give me (name of medication) located in my purse, wallet, pocket, etc.
- I take Lithium and my blood level needs to be checked every ________.
Tips for People with Environmental Illness or Chemical Sensitivities
- Collect emergency supplies based on your worst days. After an emergency or disaster consider what might be in excess: smoke, dust, gas leaks, flashing lights, radio waves, electromagnetic fields and airborne toxins which can all trigger stronger reactions than you normally experience.
- Extra emergency supplies include:
- Well aired-out (outgassed) plastic or steel tubing and ceramic mask or outgassed plastic mask for oxygen.
- Rolls of aluminum foil for covering chairs, sleeping area, food, etc.
- Baking soda stored in a waterproof container for washing.
- On your medical information card, clearly explain your sensitivities and reactions along with the most helpful treatments and those which are most harmful. Remember that some reactions (disorientation, aphasia, panic) may be diagnosed and treated as something other than chemical sensitivity and you may not be able to describe your needs verbally.
- In your emergency kit, include a Prescriptions and Treatment Authorization Request (TARs) from your doctor for unusual or hard-to-find medications. Also store supplements, herbs and homeopathic remedies.
- Add to your First Aid kit cotton bandages, gauze, paper tape and hydrogen peroxide or your tolerated disinfectant.
- Before purchasing a fire extinguisher, check your sensitivity to the contents.
- Avoid hermetically sealed shelters.
