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Senior Care News
Special Considerations for Preparing a Senior for an Emergency
Caregiver in Charleston SC
September is National Preparedness Month. As a family caregiver, this is an important time for you to evaluate your aging parent’s preparation for emergencies or disasters, and make any changes necessary to help them to stay as safe and healthy as possible in the event that there is a disaster or other emergency. While everyone will need to be prepared for these situations, there are special considerations for seniors. Understanding these special considerations and putting them into place will help you to keep your elderly loved one as secure, safe, and healthy as possible should they encounter a severe storm, flooding, extended power outage, or other disastrous situation.
Some special considerations for preparing a senior for an emergency include:
Keep the care team informed. Make sure that all members of your parent’s care team are kept informed of all changes before, during, and after an emergency situation. This includes letting everyone know whether your parent is going to shelter in place or will need to evacuate, who will check in on your parent or stay with them during the disaster, and any other help that is necessary. This will keep everyone feeling secure and confident, and help ensure that your parent will get the care and assistance that they need throughout the event.
Have medications available. If your aging parent takes medications, make sure that they have the supplies that they need available to get them through several days. This includes all medical supplies that they use, such as blood sugar testing strips, wound care supplies, and oxygen. Ask your parent’s doctor about having extra prescriptions available in the event of an emergency so that they have everything that they need when they need it.
Include mobility supplies in your emergency kit. An emergency kit is an essential element of any preparedness plan, and while there are basic elements that should be included in any kit, it is important that you evaluate your parent’s specific needs and include items based on those needs. This should include mobility supplies. Have an extra wheelchair available so that if your parent needs to be evacuated, they can do so quickly and safely.
Use GPS. Disaster situations can be particularly dangerous for elderly adults who are dealing with cognitive challenges and limitations such as those that come along with Alzheimer’s disease. If your parent may need to evacuate their home because of an emergency, make sure that they have a wearable GPS device. This will ensure that even if you get separated in the chaos that can occur after a disaster or emergency, you will be able to stay connected with your parent and reunite with them safely.
Contact the shelters. Contact any emergency shelters in the area and find out about any assistance that they offer to vulnerable members of the community such as seniors. Generally there are organizations available that can provide safe and reliable transportation during emergencies to help seniors get to shelters. You may also receive further recommendations such as posting signs on your parent’s door or window to alert to specific medical issues so that emergency responders can react properly.
If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring caregiver services in Charleston, SC, contact Heart of the Carolinas Home Care at 864-991-3116. Providing Home Care Services in Greenville, Simpsonville, Greer, Anderson, Spartanburg, Mauldin, Seneca, Laurens, Charleston, Columbia and the surrounding areas.
Edward Harrison founded the Heart of the Carolinas Homecare in 2007 when he saw there was a need for caregivers that provide non-medical home care services, at a price that most people could afford. It was standard in the industry to require hourly minimums and it was common to be assigned a caregiver, not matched with one based on your individual personal needs. Edward understood that to make a successful relationship between caregiver and client, skills were not enough, personality and compatibility plays as much a role as do skills.
