Assessing the Emergency Preparedness Needs for a Senior with Disabilities

By Jamie Shapiro | March 10, 2017 | Comments Off on Assessing the Emergency Preparedness Needs for a Senior with Disabilities
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Elderly Care in Highland Park IL: Assessing the Emergency Preparedness Needs for a Senior with Disabilities

Emergency preparedness is something that everyone should think about. Disasters and weather emergencies can occur very suddenly and with little to no warning, putting you in a dangerous situation that can put your health, safety, and even life at risk. By being as prepared as possible for such events, you can reduce these risks and make it easier to get through the situation as safely, healthily, and comfortably as possible. As a family caregiver you are not just thinking about your own emergency preparedness needs, but also those of your aging loved one. While many of their needs will be the same as your own, if they are suffering from disabilities, they will have additional needs that will need to be addressed in order to protect them during a disaster situation.

 

Use these tips to help you assess the emergency preparedness needs for your elderly loved one with disabilities:

  • What care needs require assistance? Consider the daily living and personal care needs that your parent needs assistance with on a daily basis. This will impact the types of supplies that they might need in their kit, as well as issues such as evacuation or potentially moving your parent out of their home and into yours for a time if there is risk of a serious situation.
  • What type of care equipment do they need? Many elderly adults use adaptive or assistive equipment to handle personal care and daily tasks such as toileting or bathing. If these are necessary for your parent, you might need to consider having portable options accessible with their kit, or contact emergency shelters to find out if they have such equipment available in the event of an evacuation.
  • Do they use equipment that requires electricity? If your parent has certain medical conditions or needs, they might need to use equipment that requires electricity. Consider how you would address these needs if there was a power outage.
  • Does your parent have mobility concerns that might make evacuation more difficult? If your parent struggles with mobility or is not able to get around confidently and safely, they might have a harder time getting out of the home in the event of an emergency. Plan how you will address these needs and if you need to contact authorities to let them know about your parent’s challenges so that they can give you recommendations for how to prepare and handle these needs.

 

If you have been looking for ways to enhance your loved one’s life and help them to remain healthier, happier, safer, and more comfortable throughout their later years, starting elderly care for them might be the ideal solution. An elderly home care services provider can be with your aging parent on a fully customized schedule to ensure that your senior gets the support, care, assistance, and encouragement that they need to handle their individual needs, challenges, and limitations, as well as any unforeseen circumstances that might come up. The highly personalized services of an elderly care provider are designed to not just address your parent’s needs, but do so in a way that is right for them as an individual, ensuring that they are able to pursue the active, engaged, independent, and fulfilling lifestyle that they desire and deserve, and that is right for them. When it comes to helping your parent handle an emergency situation, this care provider can be invaluable in helping your loved one to understand the potential risks that they are facing, create and implement plans, and ensure that the measures that you have taken are as effective and beneficial as possible. This can be particularly beneficial if your elderly loved one is suffering from disabilities that might require additional assistance when managing the needs of a disaster or emergency situation.

If you or an aging loved one are considering elderly care in Highland Park, IL, contact the caring staff at Companion Services of America today at (847) 943-3786. Our home care service area includes Northbrook, Highland Park, Deerfield, Glenview, Buffalo Grove, Evanston, Des Plaines, Skokie, Lake Forest, Wilmette and the surrounding areas.

 

Source:  https://www.redcross.org/images/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m4240199_A4497.pdf

Jamie Shapiro
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