Senior 911 - Disaster Safety Prep for Seniors

This year has already seen more than its fair share of tornadoes and wildfires. Now the south Atlantic Coast is getting ready as the first hurricane of the season headed this way. It's important to remember that older adults may be among the most vulnerable victims when disasters strike.

Here is a disaster safety preparation checklist to help prepare your senior parent for the possibility of natural disasters. Consider this checklist as you help your older adult get ready.

Home Instead Senior Care's Disaster Prep Checklist For Seniors:

 

____Tune in. Contact the local emergency management office to learn about the most likely natural disasters to strike your area. Stay abreast of what’s going on through your local radio or television. 

____Take stock. Decide what your senior can or can’t do in the event of a natural disaster.  Make a list of what would be needed if a disaster occurred. For example, if your loved one is wheelchair-bound, determine an evacuation strategy ahead of time. Prepare for whatever disaster could hit the area.

____ To go or to stay? When deciding to evacuate, older adults should go sooner rather than later. By waiting too long, they may be unable to leave if they require assistance.

  

____ Make a plan. Schedule a family meeting to develop a plan of action. Include in your plan key people – such as neighbors, friends, relatives and professional caregivers – who could help. 

____More than one way out. Seniors should develop at least two escape routes: one to evacuate their home and one to evacuate their community. The local emergency management office can tell you escape routes out of the community.

____Meet up. Designate a place to meet relatives or key support network people outside the house, as well as a second location outside the neighborhood, such as a school or church. Practice the plan twice a year. 

____Get up and “Go Kit.” Have an easy-to-carry backpack including three days non-perishable food and water with an additional four days of food and water readily accessible at home. Have at least one gallon of bottled water per person per day. Refresh and replace your supplies at least twice a year. And don’t forget the blanket and paper products such as toilet paper.

____Pack extras and copies. Have at least a one-month supply of medication on hand at all times. Make ready other important documents in a waterproof protector including copies of prescriptions, car title registration and driver’s license, insurance documents and bank account numbers, and spare checkbook. Also take extra eyeglasses and hearing-aid batteries. Label every piece of important equipment or personal item in case they are lost.

____Your contact list. Compile a contact list and include people on a senior’s support network as well as doctors and other important health-care professionals.

____If you can’t be there. If you’re not living close by to help your loved one, enlist the help of family or friends, or contact a professional caregiving company. 

For more information about disaster preparedness, contact Home Instead Senior Care at www.homeinsteadsavannah.com

ABOUT HOME INSTEAD

Founded in 1994, Home Instead Senior Care^® is the world’s largest provider of non-medical in-home care and companionship services for seniors, with more than 800 independently owned and operated franchises in 15 countries spanning four continents. The company's 60,000 CAREGivers^SM provide more than 40 million hours of client service each year through activities that include companionship, meal preparation, medication reminders, light housekeeping, errands and shopping. Company founders Paul and Lori Hogan pioneered franchising in the non-medical senior care industry and are leading advocates for senior issues in America. Home Instead Senior Care is the world's trusted source of companionship and home care for seniors.

Night Fright

Nighttime can be a frightening time for seniors, especially those who are living alone. Whether the causes are physical or psychological, or related to diseases, night fright may be associated with sleep disorders.

Some diseases that can make sleep difficult may be cardiovascular or respiratory disorders, painful arthritis or neuropathies, bladder or prostate problems, Alzheimer’s or other dementias. As we age the body rhythms that help determine when we sleep may change. Medications for certain diseases also can impact sleep. Some seniors worry or are fearful of the dark and wonder who might know they are alone and if they’ll break into the home.

Many seniors turn to sleep aids. However these medications might not be the best answer, as some side effects may be confusion and disorientation–symptoms that could be exaggerated in those already confused due to Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias.

While issues surrounding older adults with dementia-related illnesses are very different from seniors with sleep disorders and physical ailments, many factors can contribute to psychological anxiety or night fright. Many seniors undoubtedly are anxious because they know it’s harder to reach help at night.

10 Ways to Help Seniors Avoid Night Fright

1) Obtain a lifeline to summon medical help

2) Play soft music at night

3) Install night lights or motion-activated lights

4) Light the outside; set timers for indoor lights

5) Put contact phone numbers on speed dial

6) Make sure the house is locked and secure

7) Make the home interior safe

8) Consider climate control.

9) Encourage a set routine

10) Consider resources such as a non-medical professional caregiver to provide companionship.

We've got someone new on board!!

We are pleased to welcome Nora Shuman as our new Service Coordinator. Nora is a native Savannahian, a graduate of Savannah High and only lacks 6 classes to graduate from Savannah State University. She is a twin! (Her sister is 4 minutes older than she.) Her past experience includes working with Chapter 11 bankruptcy and with the Fire Department. She is the wife of the minister of Rose of Sharon Baptist church, the mother of three children and grandmother of a 10 month old boy. She loves the outdoors, traveling and animals. We re so happy she is part of our Home Instead family!!

Making the Best Decisions Requires Planning

It seems it was just yesterday when you were going through the passages of life – childhood, adolescence, courtship, marriage, children and establishing your own life. Through it all your parents were there for you. They were your rock, your protectors, your safe harbor. The realization that your parents are aging and changing may come unexpectedly or more gradually. Often you want to deny the changes you are seeing. Now the roles are reversing and you find yourself in the role of providing support. You’re the “sandwich” generation taking care of both children and parents. You realize that the coming years are going to be challenging. How will those changes affect your life? Your siblings, if any? Your children? What options do you have?

In the past there were only two options: family care or a nursing home. Thankfully, there are now many options available. The earlier you plan, the more options you have later on. For example, consider long term care insurance. Options include care at home where 90% of seniors choose to live out their lives. The older you are when you purchase it, if you still qualify, the more expensive it will be.

What’s the cost of caring for your parents in your home? What about independent living or retirement communities? Non-medical or medical care at home? Assisted living or skilled nursing communities?

As you consider all the options and the financial implications, there is an excellent resource book available. Stages of Senior Care: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Making the Best Decisions was written by Paul and Lori Hogan, Co-Founders of Home Instead Senior Care. All of the proceeds from the book will be donated to the Home Instead Foundation, a source of grant monies for projects benefiting seniors.