Get ready for the next storm now
Disaster planning should start before the disaster.
That means now is the time to plan for a weather emergency or other unexpected event, especially if you have loved ones who would struggle without electricity or heat but might be stubborn about leaving their home.
“I think having all of those conversations well ahead of an emergency is the most important thing to do,” said Karen Brady, who is in charge of emergency planning for the more than 1,300 clients and hospice patients under the care of the Visiting Nurse Association of Cape Cod. Brady’s official title is Director of Quality and Compliance, but that includes making sure the agency is proactive in helping all clients have a home emergency plan. The VNA works with Barnstable County Emergency Management and Response to help craft a plan and keep clients updated during a storm.
“We have to identify our patients at risk under certain situations,” Brady said. “If we have a storm forecast with the potential for loss of power, we need to determine how we can help the patient minimize their risk ahead of that event.”
One problem: Older people do not like to leave their own homes to go to a relative’s home or a shelter, experts say. And many can’t afford to pay for accommodations for the several days it can take for electricity to return, according to a poll conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan.
They’d rather stay in their homes, although VNA staff tries to convince them otherwise, Brady said.
“We do our best to let them know what the safety issues could be, and we do try to enlist family and a caregiver to assist with that, because it is not always possible for us to get to a home when there are road closures and downed power lines,” she said.
How to Stay Safe
What can you do to make sure your loved ones are safe, and, of course, to make sure you have your own emergency plan? Here are 10 suggestions from the VNA and the county’s emergency planning committee. More prep suggestions are available on the Barnstable County website as well as from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
- Create a portable to-go bag. Include flashlight, batteries, portable radio, first-aid supplies, dust masks, a whistle (as a signal for help), wrench or pliers, a map of your evacuation route (don’t count on GPS), plastic sheeting and duct tape for quick home repairs, a manual can opener, extra phone charger, cash, matches, personal items such as feminine products or diapers, and a blanket.
- Keep a list of your medications and important contacts on you at all times. Don’t rely on memory or being able to retrieve phone numbers from your cell phone.
- Make sure important documents are in a waterproof container. This should include health insurance cards, vaccination cards and your advance directives for end-of-life care.
- Keep your gas tank full. If electricity goes out, there could be no power for gas pumps. During storm season, keep your tank as full as you can.
- Create a family and friends communication plan. Set up a phone or text tree so that you can alert everyone or reassure them of your safety with a minimum of effort.
- Learn how to send simple texts on your cell phone. Sometimes, texts will go through when phone calls don’t.
- Make a disaster plan for your pets. Shelters can’t always accommodate pets or may require proof of vaccinations or pet carriers. Pets need their own to-go bag with food, medication, gear (leash, halter, collar), water bowl. Have a picture of you and your pet in case you get separated.
- Notify your local utilities and fire department if someone in the household has priority needs or has electrical medical equipment. “They might have an oxygen concentrator, or we do have patients, every now and then, that are on ventilators, and those patients need a much more specific plan for their evacuation in the event of a storm that knocks out their power,” Brady said.
- Have an alternative care plan for anyone who can’t care for themselves. That might be a skilled nursing facility or a plan for a relative to move into the house.
- Practice your evacuation plan and route. “You have to know how to get out of your area,” Brady said. “And it’s really important for everyone in the household to know where the emergency bag is, and then to have a central place outside where everyone is going to meet up.”
