Natural Disaster Preparedness is Part of Senior Care

Recently, natural disasters like Hurricane Irma have sparked a new direction when it comes to the topic of senior care. Beforehand, this wasn’t in the public eye much, but the media has permeated more and more of our lives. In this case, this is a good thing because it shows us just what can happen if we are not fully prepared for the unexpected. This goes for all aspects of senior care, ranging from in-home care, to a nursing home or a hospital.

 

Planning for a natural disaster on your own is hard, especially if you know little about what to do. They are almost impossible to predict, and the severity is hardly ever known until after the fact. Still, there are a few things that you can do to help take this into account when helping a loved one plan for their senior care. First and foremost, be aware of where your loved one is located. Florida, parts of Texas, and Louisiana are located right on the ocean, and that leaves them more susceptible to damage from a hurricane. Areas located near known fault lines, such as portions of California, are more at risk of an earthquake. And in New England, the recent spat of heavy snow storms has shown us that even those who live in areas that are deemed pretty “safe” have their own set of problems to worry about. Awareness is the first step.

 

Planning for a natural disaster should be a part of a complete senior care plan.

 

Once you have a better idea of what the potential issues might be, then you can take steps to try and avoid problems more thoroughly. If the power goes out during a storm, what precautions can be put in place to help your parent stay safe? Does their home have a backup generator installed? What about any residential facility that you might be considering? Do they have emergency plans in place? These are all great questions to ask yourself and others that might be involved in the process.

 

Having a backup plan is always smart too. What happens at your mother’s assisted living facility if their generator runs out of gas? Is there a protocol in place in case that happens? This is not something that you ever expect to need to rely on, but in a worst case scenario, they can mean the difference between life and death.

 

Working with an experienced senior care service can help you to ease your mind when it comes to some of these questions. A caregiver that has a lot of experience and has gone through formal training will be much more prepared for an emergency situation when it comes to how it impacts the elderly, too. At Paradise In-Home Care, we ensure that all of our caregivers have the knowledge and training necessary to keep your parent as safe as possible. This goes for natural disasters, but it also extends to other areas, too. If your parent suffers from a stroke or heart attack, for example, our caregivers have the background necessary to respond appropriately in these emergency situations.

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