Caregiving and Disaster Planning
By Sheryl Leary, Family Caregiver Specialist

Being a caregiver adds a whole new dimension to disaster planning. Caregivers reported that during some of the many devastating hurricanes in Florida and New Orleans, they spent days not knowing if their loved one was safe. You do not want this to happen to you or your family member. To get through a major event safely a caregiver needs to include special planning for their family member. This is important for both a long distance caregiver and a local caregiver. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA at www.fema.gov) has these tips for caregivers.

Develop a Support Network
Caregivers need to know who the emergency service providers are for their family member. Caregivers should always maintain a list of local police, fire and public safety personnel in their family member’s town. Caregivers need to be on alert for weather and news local for their family member. For caregivers who live at a distance, a great resource for this information is your family member’s local news organization’s online newspaper and online weather information through www.weather.com.

Caregivers should also develop an informal support network for their family member. Maintaining names of friends and neighbors that may be able to respond more quickly than you in an emergency can assist caregivers in ensuring their family member’s safety and health during a crisis. Caregivers should maintain this list at their home but also in their family member’s home so everyone has access to it when needed.

Caregivers should also utilize the Click Here Family Communication Plan. This should be widely distributed to all family members. This is an important tool for families so that emergency efforts are put towards those in need and family members know when their loved ones are safe.

Special Requirements
Caregivers need to look at their family member’s daily living and medical needs and assemble a list of any special requirements they may have. Some of these may be:

Special equipment for feeding or respiration
Dietary needs (ex. diabetic diet)
Personal care equipment needs (ex. shower chair)
Access needed to medical treatments (ex. dialysis)
Adaptive hearing or sight devices (ex. hearing aids, prescription eyeglasses)
Medicine (two week minimum supply)
Aids for ambulation (ex. wheelchair, walkers)
Need for service animals

Caregivers need to notify their family member’s local emergency providers, usually the fire and police departments, regarding their loved one’s special requirements. For example, if your loved one requires electricity for Oxygen and may only have a few hours of a portable back-up machine, they should be registered at the local fire department. Caregivers can use the Click Here Notification of Special Requirements form to make this process easier.

Community Assistance
Caregivers need to learn about their family member’s local community providers of care. Caregivers should know the location of the nearest emergency shelter and options on how seniors can be transported there. Contacting the local police/fire departments and senior center before an emergency happens will allow you to get educated so you can stay calm during the crisis. As a caregiver, you need to prepare your family member’s home with the Click Here Emergency Supply Kit, Click Here Stocking Your Food Pantry, plan fire escape routes, and develop emergency pet care plans just as you would for yourself. If you need help arranging for care in your family members’ local area, contact the Area Agency on Aging for the city or town where they live.

Caregiving is hard enough without the thought of unforeseen emergencies. Preparing yourself and your family member for unexpected events is the key to staying safe and healthy during these moments.