As hurricane season approaches in Florida everyone needs to be as prepared as possible. If an elderly individual has a caregiver, this plan should be initiated by the caregiver or a family member.
Things to consider when developing a plan:
- Learn about your community’s emergency plans, warning signals, evacuation routes, and locations of emergency shelters.
- Locate and secure your important papers, such as insurance policies, wills, licenses, stocks, etc, and post emergency phone numbers by every phone.
- Have an evacuation kit that will provide food, water, and other essentials for 3 - 7 days. A backpack that is pre-packed and hung in an easily accessible place is convenient.
Planning ahead is crucial in keeping one safe in an emergency. Family members of elderly should be aware of any plan that a caregiver has created for a senior citizen.
For more information about hurricane preparedness, go to the Disaster Preparedness Guide for Elders provided by the Florida Department of Elder Affairs.
Beverly Napoli
Visiting Angels of Clearwater
www.homehealthclearwater.com
