Keeping Elderly Safe in Hurricane Weather and Warnings
Hurricane season is in full swing in Florida until the end of November. With hurricane warnings an ever-present threat as they are in the southwest region of the state, it is important to know how to react especially when caring for an elderly person. Here we provide the key factors you should consider and planning tips for the inevitable order of evacuation.
Orders are not mandates. Despite what the general public might think, the state’s emergency authority cannot order any resident to leave their home. However, it really is prudent for seniors to take the order seriously and vacate to safer ground. Structures like trailers and manufactured homes are especially vulnerable to the high winds and heavy rains that accompany hurricanes, so its best to heed warnings from the authorities and start planning the evacuation.
Don’t wait for the evacuation order. As with any potential disaster, it is best to plan and prepare for them before you’re in the storm’s path, when stores and support services will be crowded and backlogged. Encourage your loved one to purchase one or two emergency kit items every time they go to the grocery store so that over time they create a stockpile of needed items. This also makes the task less overwhelming and manageable.
Take only what’s necessary but everything you’ll need. Evacuation kits should include copies of important documents like personal identification, property deeds, insurance records and even medical records including prescription lists. If and when an evacuation order comes, two weeks of medications should be ready to go in case you cannot get access to the home after a hurricane. And since shelters – especially make shift shelters established in public buildings like schools – are not set up like formal shelters, blankets, toiletries If your loved one ends up in a shelter, they should also arrive with their own blankets, air mattresses and toiletries for a comfortable stay.
There are safe places for special needs seniors. Each county in the state of Florida has a special needs registry that all seniors should sign up for in case of emergencies like hurricanes. These shelters are prepared to take in people who might need oxygen, dialysis or insulin injections, and can assess which and how many supplies are needed if seniors are in their registry.
Stay informed. All seniors should have the Florida state emergency management apps on their phones. The Lee County Emergency Management website has information on notifications and other resources residents can use to stay informed.
Staying clued in to threatening weather and emergency evacuation information is crucial for all residents but seniors are most vulnerable to the dangers of severe weather. Having a caretaker who is thinking ahead on their behalf can make all the difference when the storm hits.
Hurricane season is in full swing in Florida until the end of November. With hurricane warnings an ever-present threat as they are in the southwest region of the state, it is important to know how to react especially when caring for an elderly person. Here we provide the key factors you should consider and planning tips for the inevitable order of evacuation.
Orders are not mandates. Despite what the general public might think, the state’s emergency authority cannot order any resident to leave their home. However, it really is prudent for seniors to take the order seriously and vacate to safer ground. Structures like trailers and manufactured homes are especially vulnerable to the high winds and heavy rains that accompany hurricanes, so its best to heed warnings from the authorities and start planning the evacuation.
Don’t wait for the evacuation order. As with any potential disaster, it is best to plan and prepare for them before you’re in the storm’s path, when stores and support services will be crowded and backlogged. Encourage your loved one to purchase one or two emergency kit items every time they go to the grocery store so that over time they create a stockpile of needed items. This also makes the task less overwhelming and manageable.
Take only what’s necessary but everything you’ll need. Evacuation kits should include copies of important documents like personal identification, property deeds, insurance records and even medical records including prescription lists. If and when an evacuation order comes, two weeks of medications should be ready to go in case you cannot get access to the home after a hurricane. And since shelters – especially make shift shelters established in public buildings like schools – are not set up like formal shelters, blankets, toiletries If your loved one ends up in a shelter, they should also arrive with their own blankets, air mattresses and toiletries for a comfortable stay.
There are safe places for special needs seniors. Each county in the state of Florida has a special needs registry that all seniors should sign up for in case of emergencies like hurricanes. These shelters are prepared to take in people who might need oxygen, dialysis or insulin injections, and can assess which and how many supplies are needed if seniors are in their registry.
Stay informed. All seniors should have the Florida state emergency management apps on their phones. The Lee County Emergency Management website has information on notifications and other resources residents can use to stay informed.
Staying clued in to threatening weather and emergency evacuation information is crucial for all residents but seniors are most vulnerable to the dangers of severe weather. Having a caretaker who is thinking ahead on their behalf can make all the difference when the storm hits.