May282010
Survival Mom’s Crisis Plan for Seniors
Sometimes a Survival Mom has to look around to see who might need some extra help in an emergency. Young children, invalids, and the elderly are especially vulnerable during tumultuous times. In 1995, I was in Chicago during one of their deadliest heat waves ever. Of the 600+ people who died, most were elderly. I remember thinking, “Why didn’t their families or neighbors check on them and help?”
Who in your life is elderly, sickly and/or disabled and might need some help during an emergency? A game plan needs to be put in order right away to provide a sense of security for everyone involved. I’ve put together this list of tips and suggestions to make sure that your Grandma is looked after, no matter what might happen.
NOTE: To make my job easier as a writer, I’m going to refer to the elderly person in your life as “Grandma”. No offense to Grandpa, Aunt Beryl or your neighbor, Zelda!
1. What medications is Grandma taking? Is it possible to get an additional 30-day supply? A reserve of life-saving medications should be a top priority. If something needs to be kept refrigerated, that should be noted and planned for.
2. Make a list of each medication, the dosage, the doctor who prescribed it, and the name, address, and phone number of the pharmacy. Give a copy to Grandma and another family member or two, and keep a copy for yourself. This would be a good thing to have in your Grab-n-Go Binder.
3. What doctors does she see on a regular basis? Make a list of their names, specialties, addresses and fax and phone numbers. While you’re at it, make a copy of her Medicare and health insurance cards in case she’s ever incapacitated and you’re the one making medical decisions. Again, give her a copy and keep one in your Grab-n-Go Binder.
4. Does Grandma have someone designated with power of attorney? If so, that document should be readily available and up to date.
5. What routine could be established so you’re certain of her well-being each morning? With a neighbor, it could be a specific window blind being opened each morning or a morning phone call at a certain time each day could provide that reassurance.
6. Is there medical equipment she relies on? In an evacuation situation, would that equipment fit in your vehicle or hers’? Help her make a plan for evacuation that includes assistance from family members in the area. Check out Organize to Evacuate for a comprehensive, helpful plan.
7. If Grandma is a neighbor or family friend, make a point of meeting her family members, even if it’s just a phone conversation. Get their names, addresses and phone numbers. In an emergency, it might be important for you to know who to contact.
8. Put together a simple 72 Kit for her, including one she can keep in her vehicle, if she drives. Be sure to add items unique to her needs, such as a list of her doctors and medications, an extra pair of eyeglasses, and a light sweater.
9. If Grandma has a pet, talk with her about how she’ll care for it in an evacuation situation. Read my article, Evacuation Time? Don’t forget your pets, for some practical tips.
10. Electrical outages can be frightening to anybody. Make sure Grandma not only has candles, matches, and flashlights on hand but that she also knows exactly where to find them.
11. None of us would want to leave behind cherished photos and heirlooms. Help Grandma put these together in one container that can be packed up quickly. Make sure other family members know its’ whereabouts. Particularly valuable items should be kept in a safety deposit box.
12. Put yourself in Grandma’s place. In a crisis situation with events changing by the moment, what would you need for reassurance? When my grandmother became ill shortly before her death, it seemed like even the smallest changes in her routine were monumental to her. (I’m kind of like that now!) What else can you think of that will not only give her a sense of security but a plan of action as well?
Survival Moms tend to be very busy with multiple irons in the fire. Having an elderly family member can add to the stress of our everyday lives, much less during a disaster or emergency of some sort. By all means, include other concerned people in your planning. Nobody’s Grandma or Grandpa should be forgotten and left behind in a crisis.
© 2010, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.
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Art
This is a great plan, but it is only the beginning of what should be a more conprehensive plan for wellness when disaster has not struck yet. I would say this all needs to be done without causing a panic in mom. Could she be thinking that you are prepping her because you are planning on leaving but havent told her so just yet? Maybe some drastic changes to the house would be needed in order to enhance the quality of life while anticipating disaster. I agree about planning for the pet thing good greif, if life is lost for hesitation due to the welfare of a dog or cat.. I just hope it's not anyone's I know.
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Lloyd Colston
An eyeglass strategy for the 72-hour bag is to place the OLD prescription in a hard case in the go-bag. If the main pair break, the old pair will be better than nothing.
Of course, when the new new pair is received, put the old pair in the go-bag and give the old old pair to Lions Club for their vision program.
TheSurvivalMom
That's an easy way to always have a spare pair of glasses handy. Thanks for the tip!
LizLong
In our planning, I am assuming my parents will have done no prep on their own, so we are including enough supplies for them as well as us in our house. And we have one bedroom set up for them and, if it ever gets that bad, that will be their room. Same for MIL. We even have a spare cane for her.
TheSurvivalMom
Liz, you really do have to think this way. Preparedness isn't all about me, me, me, me! In fact, I know of some preppers who are stocking old wheat buckets with things like a blanket, a flashlight, a few canned goods, etc. to have ready for people in need. That's the kind of attitude that will make the difference between a community that hangs in there together and gets through some hard times and a post-Katrina scenario of violence and looting.
Harold
Thanks for putting this up again Lisa. Some really good points to remember and I'm sure it will be different for each situation depending on the needs and state of mind of our loved ones. Great idea about having something to hand out to folks who were caught unawares. I'm planning to spread the word to family members and those in the community who have always trusted that the goods and services would be there. It may take time for folks to wrap their mind around the idea that they need to take the reins when it comes to their survival.
LizLong
I have some prescriptions family members aren't using any more (samples in one case) that I'm holding onto while they're still good because they might help someone else. You never know. The Actos MIL doesn't need anymore might be a (literal) lifesafer for another diabetic.
Mom23Wolves
"while they're still good"
Just a comment – most medications stay good past their expiration dates, some have a significantly longer half life, especially if stored properly. I wouldn't use them first but if they are particularly necessary or useful, I wouldn't toss them on expiration either. My opinion for my family, not medical advice … but just a thought.
Barbara
Due to the decreased comprehension of some elderly people, be sure to make all your preps for them as simple as possible. Flashlights are always better than candles for anyone with iffy balance or coordination, or mental confusion. Arthritic hands can also pose challenges that younger people don't have. Even managing a stiff can opener can mean life or death. Make sure that if you can't be there, what you've done for your elder loved ones are a reality for them. Troubles and unusual circumstance often makes a small and negligible mental confusion worse. A usually competent elder person may become surprisingly helpless in a disaster.
TheSurvivalMom
Great points, Barbara. I can feel my own comprehension decreasing with each passing day!
Mom23Wolves
So true … we had an ice and snow storm that blew the power for a week some years ago. No one had prepared anything. My grandmother lived a couple of miles away, I ended up hauling a homemade bunsen burner, sweats, and other supplies in a long, cold hike to her house and found her curled up in a knot in her bed with only a cotton nightgown on. She had no idea what to do. Of course, my mother, who was only in her 50s at the time, just took the dog and went to bed. She would come out occasionally to forage for food in the kitchen, and had wrapped up in extra clothes. So it's not just age, it's a mindset too. But the age complicates things and with no intervention I'm pretty sure my mother would have done OK, my grandmother probably wouldn't have made it.