The Indiana Department of Homeland Security is giving advice on how to help prepare older Hoosiers for emergencies for National Preparedness Month.
September is National Preparedness Month and the goal of the month is to encourage individuals, families, and communities to take proactive steps in preparing for various emergencies and disasters.
House fires, tornadoes, winter weather, and power outages are just a few emergencies that can affect Hoosiers and each member of your family needs to know their role and what to do for each emergency. That also includes the older members of your family. Because of this, the focus of 2023’s National Preparedness Month is preparing for older adults.
This focus is to show the necessity of creating inclusive emergency plans that consider factors like mobility challenges, medical needs, and social isolation, which can significantly impact the well-being of older individuals during crises.
Tips for planning for elderly adults in an emergency include:
- Plan how you will communicate with the older adults if you have a need for communication,
- Plan for food, water, and essentials they will need,
- Plan ahead for transportation if they need help evacuating,
- And include items that meet their individual needs, such as medicines, medical supplies, batteries, and chargers, in their emergency supply kit.
To learn more about creating emergency kits and plans, or more tips for creating plans with older adults visit in.gov/dhs/get-prepared.
