In your role as a family caregiver, your elder parent’s safety is one of your top priorities. This means not only taking steps to ensure that their home is secure and they make good lifestyle choices, but also preparing for the possibility of emergency situations and disasters that can occur quickly and put your parent in serious danger.
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Elder Care Long Island NY - What Should be in Your Elder Loved One's Emergency Kit[/caption]
There are many things that you can do to help keep your loved one safer in these situations, but one of the most important is making sure that they have an emergency preparedness kit packed, ready, and easily accessible so that they can get to it easily if an emergency situation arises. This kit should contain the items your elder loved one might need throughout a disaster or weather emergency to help them handle their needs and stay safe, healthy, and comfortable.
While your loved one will need to add items that are personal to their individual needs and challenges, some of the basic items that should be included in any emergency preparedness kit include:
• One gallon of water per person, per day, with a minimum 3-day supply if you plan for your parent to be evacuated, or 2-week supply if they will remain at home during the emergency
• Non-perishable foods that require no heat or water for preparation
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Hand-crank or battery-operated radio and extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Multi-purpose tool
• Hygiene items
• Sanitation items
• At least 7-day supply of all medications, including over-the-counter items frequently used, if possible
• Extra clothing
• Blankets
• Copies of important personal documents such as birth certificate, passport, prescriptions, deeds, and insurance information
• Emergency contact information
• Cell phone and emergency charger or battery
• Information about local shelters
Starting elder care for your aging loved one can be one of the best decisions that you can make for them as their family caregiver. An elder home care services provider can be with your parent on a customized schedule to ensure that they get the level of care, support, and encouragement that they need throughout their later years to remain happy, healthy, comfortable, and safe, while also pursuing as much independence and activity as possible.
When it comes to helping them handle emergency situations, this elder care provider can help your parent understand the risks that they are facing, ensure that they have the emergency preparation supplies that they might need to help them through the situation, and even plan preparedness activities such as running drills to help with the possibility of evacuation or other disasters.
When it comes to helping them to create and maintain their emergency preparedness kit, this care provider can help your parent evaluate what they might need, source and store the items, and frequently check the items to ensure that they are still valid and in good condition. This ensures that the kit is ready in the event that it is needed, and is in the best condition possible. As a family caregiver this can give you a tremendous sense of relief knowing that if your elderly parent does face a disaster situation, they will be ready to do what they need to do to get through it in the best way possible.
Source: https://www.redcross.org/get-help/prepare-for-emergencies/be-red-cross-ready