Emergency Planning Imperative for Older Adults
Natural disasters, such as a tornado, flood, or blizzard, may force you to evacuate your home or shelter-in-place with little notice. It is important to have an emergency plan in place. Older adults may face extra challenges during an emergency depending on mobility, chronic health conditions, hearing or vision loss, or even cognitive impairment. Access to family and friends may be interrupted. Support services that are usually available may be unavailable. Emergency planning is imperative for older adults. Creating a Plan with a Little Help from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Designate a contact person who will check on you during a disaster. Consider speaking with your neighbors about developing a check-on-your-neighbor emergency initiative. Create a list of emergency contacts for family and friends. Leave a copy by your phone(s) and include one in your Emergency Supply Kit. Emergency supply kits should include a first aid kit, ba