By Kathleen Votava, Aging Services Program Specialist at ACL
What’s the plan?
That’s the question we ask ourselves every September as we
observe National Preparedness Month. Having an emergency plan is
important at any time, but especially during a pandemic. The challenges
of COVID-19 make thinking about preparedness and planning more
complex—and more critical.
Fortunately, good resources are available to help. FEMA’s Ready.gov
provides guidance and tips on preparing for a variety of situations. ACL
preparedness resources and links focus on older adults, people
with disabilities, and caregivers. The American
Red Cross has a useful disaster-planning page especially for
COVID-19.
Two key parts of preparation are:
- Make a
plan of actions to take before, during, and after an
emergency
- Build
a kit of supplies you may need at home or away during an
emergency
Review the following steps to make sure your plan and kit
reflect your situation and needs.
Step 1: Consider emergencies likely to occur in your area.
Do you live in a hurricane zone? Does your area have a fire
or drought season? Are earthquakes common? What about tornadoes?
Depending on your area, you may need to plan for a few different
scenarios and build a kit for multiple situations.
Step 2: Factor in COVID-19.
A pandemic introduces new issues, including the possibility
that you might have to quarantine in place for two weeks. For that
reason, it’s a good idea to build two emergency kits: one for staying
home— including food, water, medicine, personal care items, and cleaning
products—and another (commonly called a “go kit”) in case of evacuation
(or other travel) with extra items needed for being away from home for
possibly several weeks. Both should include face coverings, but
especially the one for evacuation. Pack two cloth face coverings for
everyone age two and older, hand sanitizer and bar or liquid soap, and
disinfecting wipes to use on surfaces.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has a hub
covering different disasters and what to consider for these
situations during the pandemic. Remember to always listen to local
emergency channels and government authorities for guidance about what to
do during an emergency in your community.
Step 3: Consider your personal situation.
Your personal situation affects your emergency plan. Here
are some questions to ask yourself when designing your plan.
- Could
you stay at home safely, even during a power outage?
- Where
would you go if you have to evacuate?
- Are
you or others in your household at higher risk for complications
from COVID-19?
- Do
you require assistive or life-supporting devices that rely on power?
How will you charge them if you lose power or if you have to leave
home?
- Do
you have paper or electronic copies of your health records, or
passwords to access your health providers’ patient portals?
- How
will you receive emergency alerts?
- Are
there people nearby who could come and help?
- Do
you have friends or family that you could visit for evacuation? Is
their home accessible or able to accommodate your needs?
- Could
you go to a public shelter and would they be able to meet your
health and accessibility needs?
- How
would you maintain physical/social distancing?
- Can
you wear a mask? Do you require other personal protection equipment?
- What
transportation is available?
- What
is your workplace’s emergency plan?
- What
is your residential facility or building’s emergency plan?
- If
you have children, what is their school’s emergency plan?
- Have
you created emergency kits for work, vehicle, or other locations to
help ensure you are safe where you are or evacuate from?
The answers to these questions will influence your
decisions, your plan, and your preparations.
Step 4: Take control.
Take time to prepare before you’re in an emergency. Review
and update insurance coverage. Think about money on hand, and gather
important financial, personal, and medical documents. Make sure you have
necessary supplies and take care of any maintenance tasks to secure your
home.
You should also talk to neighbors or friends who might be
able to help in an emergency and plan to stay in touch.
When doing your planning, take a minute and fill out ACL’s form
to print and post in a prominent place (like the refrigerator
door or attached to your wheelchair). It gives first responders critical
information about you and your needs.
Nobody likes to think about emergencies. But taking time now
to plan and prepare can save you precious time later and help you stay
safe.
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