September is National Preparedness Month

National Preparedness Month  is an observance each September to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies that could happen at any time. 

Older adults and their caregivers can overcome these potential obstacles and increase their resilience by taking control in 1, 2, 3.

Assess your needs. If you have medications that need refrigeration, rely on mobility or assistive devices or have a pet you’ll need to understand how these variables will factor into what you’ll need to stay safe in a disaster or emergency.

Make a plan. Once you assess your needs, you can tailor your plans to make sure your needs are met. This can include building a kit that includes extra medication, having a way to store medications in an emergency and planning for your pets or service animals. If you’re an older adult or work with and support older adult communities visit Ready.gov/older-adults and Ready.gov/es/adultos-mayores for resources.

Engage your support network. Reaching out to family, friends and neighbors can help you build a support network that can support you before, during and after a disaster or emergency. Share each aspect of your emergency plan with everyone in your group, including a friend or relative in another area who would not be impacted by the same emergency who can help if necessary. Make sure everyone knows how you plan to evacuate your home or workplace and where you will go in case of a disaster. Make sure that someone in your personal support network has an extra key to your home and knows where you keep your emergency supplies. Practice your plan with those who have agreed to be part of your personal support network.

 

For more information go to https://www.ready.gov/older-adults

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