Emergency Preparedness for Older Adults

Gather the information that will help you prepare for disasters and emergencies:

Get Informed

• Identify Likely Disasters: Know the types of disasters that could happen in your community.
• Learn about Community Response Plans: Find out about local plans for emergency alerts, evacuation and shelter resources.
• Sign up for alerts and warnings to receive information during an emergency.
• Get Trained: Learn first aid, CPR and the specific actions that can save your life for each type of disaster that is likely in your area.

Assess Your Needs

• Understand how your medical, physical and cognitive needs may affect your ability to respond to a disaster or emergency. For more information on kit considerations by ability, go to ready.gov/disability.
• Think About How You Would Respond: Consider needs you may have if the power went out, you had to stay home for two weeks or more, or if you had to evacuate your home or community.
• Talk about the help you may need and who could assist you.

Build Your Support Network

• Identify Helpers: Include family, friends, neighbors, caregivers and care providers to build your network of people who may be able to assist you or that you can assist.
• Meet with your helpers to assess your needs and plan together.
• Plan how you’ll communicate with helpers.

Review, practice and refresh your plan, supplies and important documents (now and every six months):

Develop Your Plan

• Plan to Stay or Go: Plan to stay home for at least two weeks or evacuate.
• Help to Evacuate: If you need help evacuating, plan who will help you. Find out if there are local registries and sign up.
• Power Needs: If you require power to operate medical devices or keep medicines cold, make a back-up plan.
• Fire Safety: Identify two ways out of every room to escape a home fire and plan for the help you may need.
• Property or Renter’s Insurance: Make sure you have a policy that meets your property and disaster coverage needs.To learn how to mitigate risks in your home by hazard, download this resource produced by Save the Children and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Create a Communication Plan

• Make an emergency contact list and plan how you’ll reach your support group and important emergency contacts when communications may be disrupted.
  • Download and print an Emergency Contact Card here.

Gather Your Supplies

• Get Basic Emergency Supplies: Use a checklist to prepare what you’ll need in your home, car or when you evacuate.
  • Use our checklist of emergency kit supplies.
• Manage Medical and Personal Needs: Keep at least 30 days of medications and extra assistive items such as a cane or eyeglasses. Plan for your food needs if you follow a special diet.
• Get batteries to back-up power dependent devices.

Prepare Key Documents

• Locate Important Documents: Use a checklist to collect and copy documents including identifications, financial, legal and medical papers you’ll need to help you recover.
  • Download FEMA’s Financial Planning Guide here.
• Keep an Up-to-Date List of Medical Information: conditions, allergies, medications, prescription records, doctors and insurance cards.

The 3 most important things to do when disaster strikes:

1. Stay Informed: Monitor the news and emergency alerts for updates and guidance.
2. Stay or Go? Be ready to stay at home or leave right away. Know how you’ll decide and who will help.
3. Ask for Help: Tell people what you need.

Follow these steps to help your life return to normal:

• Return Home Safely: Wait until authorities say it’s safe to return.
• Work With Trusted Sources: The American Red Cross, FEMA, your local government and your support network can help. Beware of scams.
• Manage Property Damage: Document any property damage for insurance and work with others to remove debris and clean safely.