Today is June 13...Thirteen days into the 2007 hurricane season, so my post is a little late on that count. But there are all sorts of disasters. There are wildfires, floods, chemical spills, earthquakes, tornadoes...everybody is at risk for some sort of disaster.

What would you do if you had to evacuate immediately? Do you know where you would go? Would you be prepared if you found yourself trapped in your home on short notice with no utilities--for DAYS, a WEEK? Would you have to scramble to get shelf-stable food staples, medicines, important papers in order? What about money...ATMs may not work...Merchants may not accept checks...

Our elder loved ones have special needs and preparing to care for them in a disaster is far more complicated than any of the other considerations we would normally have. If you don't believe me, just ask Moms_Buddy!

This morning I found one of the best sites I have ever seen addressing the issue of disaster preparedness--and it gives heavy consideration to elder care issues during a disaster:

Triangle J Area Agency on Aging -Disaster Planning for Older Adults and Their Families

It's a very large resource, so take your time when you check it out. You won't want to miss a thing!

Add my Vives!'Gu' away Gustav!

And Hanna, go away, too! Take Gustav with you to the North Pole.

Glad y'all made out all right with Fay & Gustav, Diana!! Hang in there!! We are sending "Please DIE" vibes to Gustav!!

Gustav crossed the Island as a strong tropical wave and left us wet. Same with Fae. Hanna is a little to the north but the tail may send more rain. i can take all the rain they want to send but the wind is another story. This place isn't safe in a strong hurricane and I can't imagine how I will make my husband go to a friend or family home.
We love to say that weather people are always wrong. I am praying that they are wrong about Gstav path, bu just in case, be prepared.

GOOD reminder, BC!! Especially about CASH.

Remember that ATMs don't always work after bad storms, and you have a daily withdrawal limit which may underreach your needs, so cash a BIG check before a storm and hold onto that cash TIGHTLY!!

A quick reminder about the necessary cash. In long power outages or in an evacuation mode, try to hve small denominations, 10s and 20s. Do not let anyone see the whole wad, only what they need to see. Be ready for a gouger to say they can't make change, so get all you can for the money. You may be able to trade it later. It is very convenient space wise to keep 50s and even 100s, but it is not practical.

***bumping for the season***

*...bumping 'cause it's that time of year again...*

Up here in south-central Canada the only disaster I am really concerned about is ice storms, which I have had to endure twice in the last 10 years. When I was in high school there was a MASSIVE ice storm across central eastern Canada, knocking out power lines, phone lines, trees broke people's roofs, frozen water pipes exploded in people's homes... My family was fortunate that out power losses were only intermittant (instead of a solid month, like some people) and my parents have 2 wood-burning stoves, so we were able to cook and keep the house warm no matter what. We wore bicycle helmets if we had to go outside for anything, just in case of falling branches. My father and brother and I climbed up the icy TV antenna attatched to the side of our house to shovel off the roof when we could see the ceiling starting to buckle from the weight of the snow and ice. Some of our friends who had no means of heating their homes stayed with us.

Last year our area was with a freak storm that broke trees, power lines, phone lines... it was declared an "emergency" situation for a few days. The normally small creek in my backyard rose to within 2 metres of our house. With no power, we had no way to keep our sump pump running, and when the sewers backed up into our basement (along with every basement on our street) we had no way to use a shop vac to clean up the flooding. We had to use paper towels and plastic bags to create as much of a barrier as we could, then go to a friend's house for a few days until the power came back on. Fortunately we hadn't finished the basement, so we just threw a few things out and bleached EVERYTHING in sight. Many of our neighbours had dumpsters parked on their front lawns while they threw away everything.

So here is what I've learned:
-We now have a gas powered generator
-We have extra cans of gasoline for the generator in the shed at all times
-Our new shop vac has an extra long hose so we can run it outside if necessary
-We have LOTS of extension cords for plugging in essentials
-We have a natural gas fireplace to be able to safely and cleanly heat our home
-We have several air matresses so we can close the doors in the upstairs bedrooms and sleep in the warmest part of the house without wasting heat
-VERY IMPORTANT: We replaced the hard-wired smoke detector with a new smoke detector that has a battery back-up in addition to being hard wired. We also have battery-powered smoke detectors and a battery-powered carbon monoxide detector throughout the house.
-While we are finishing the basement, new flood-proof valves have been installed. We are also using "resiliant flooring" which is waterproof and can actually be pulled up, cleaned, and put back down if necessary. No carpet in the basement.
-Anything stored in the basement MUST be in plastic bins. No cardboard boxes.

Bobcat sent us to this page and to Mariabee post and it was a very good idea.

Is important to take precautions and to have a plan. If you can't go to ashelter prepare your home the best you can, if you have a loved one that get scared in a emergency think about what measures you can take to control (the best you can) the situation. No plan will be perfect but it will help a lot.

Every hurricane is a different experience, some are wind events, other rain events and other are both. What all has in common is that are dangerous and impredictable and you need to be prepared.

bumping

http://eldercare.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/34560341...941007824#3941007824

I refer back to this post from January started by Bitter Old Hag. Some real stories discussed here. I'm looking for another where we described our own various "storm drills".

Nothing like the well organized site offered by Maria,

You are so right Maria!

My fil passed away in April, I am just now getting medical files set up for mil. I take care of all medical needs. For some reason, I have not set aside the time to get all of her records in a place that I can grab it in a hurry, so this morning I have set aside the time to get that done.

Hope you have a great day!

quote:

Thank you Maria, we live on the coast and could be in line of a storm at any time. You are such a honey to help us all out!!!!

You are quite welcome!

2005 was the first time I was faced with a natural disaster while caring for my mother—-and what a disaster it was! We live on the Gulf Coast between where Hurricanes Katrina and Rita made landfall. Thankfully, we had been fairly well prepared and were only hit with a glancing blow from both storms—-but most of what I had put together then is now outdated, or has wandered away from it’s container. So, it’s time for me to get my stuff together again.

Something to keep in mind while planning is that the healthcare system may completely collapse under the strain of a major emergency. The healthcare system in my area is STILL straining and unrecovered due to the large influx of evacuees and medically needy folks. And we are over 100 miles from the major impact areas.

Consider ahead of time whether you will leave (if you have a choice), KNOW WHERE you will go if you must leave and what you will do when you get there. If you use a special needs shelter, will you be allowed to stay with your loved-one? Will there be electricity for oxygen, cooling? Heat and cold are so dangerous for our elders. Consider all of the special supplies and equipment your loved one uses: diapers, skin care products, wheelchairs...does she need a special bed? Can you even get her into your vehicle!?!? Do a dry run.

Do you have extra copies of prescriptions on hand? Some folks pay out of pocket to have an Rx filled ahead of time. I have Mom’s filled 2-3 days before she runs out and squirrel away the left-overs until we have a stash of about 1 month’s supply (you can’t do with will ALL medicines...so be sure to check!)

Are you on a special needs list with your utility companies? Do you keep your vehicle’s fuel tank mostly full?—it’s one less thing you’ll have to worry about. If you do leave in a disaster, don’t hesitate to take along a few things you can’t foresee a need for-—in the midst of the worst disasters there is plenty of bartering going on!!

quote:

Where is my brain????

…same place mine is, BWB!

We get so engrossed with our day-to-day concerns that time passes quickly and we are easily caught off guard!

This topic has been on my mind, and I am so glad that Maria posted this helpful site.

I have been putting together a "hurricane box" for my home, thinking my mil would be in our home in case of emergency. Never dawning on me that we would need the proper amount of fluid and so on to take care of her.

It is time for me to act on this and put together a container to keep in her house just for her.

My Dad is another person on his own and doesn't get around well shhhhhh, don't let him hear me say that . I will need to work one out for him also, though I know he will get in his car and drive north, probably without even calling to let me or sis know before he is well on his way.

Thank you Maria, we live on the coast and could be in line of a storm at any time. You are such a honey to help us all out!!!!

Where is my brain????

Maria, the whole site is good. Thankyou for this.

In these uncertain weather times, NO ONE can afford to not have plans and preparations made for disasters. I can tell you FIRST HAND what it's like to be caught in a disaster with a bedridden elder - and if you are waiting for someone to rescue you, please refer to the images of people fryin' & dyin' on the roofs of New Orleans. If you think that having an elderly person to care for will get you more in the way of services or consideration, think again. Please refer to the "special needs" shelters where many elderly people died from dehydration and heatstroke.

I hope EVERYONE will think about this and ACT NOW. Just because it's hurricane season does not mean that an emergency preparedness plan should not be IN PLACE 365 days of the year. KNOW how to save yourself and those for whom you care. Do NOT depend upon anyone else to save you.