Elderly Concerns
Seniors - Get Ready Now!
Each person's needs and abilities are unique, but every individual can take important steps to prepare for all kinds of emergencies and put plans in place. By evaluating your own personal needs and making an emergency plan, you can be better prepared for any situation. A commitment to planning today will help you prepare for any emergency situation. Preparing makes sense. Get ready now.
* Consider how a disaster might affect your individual needs.
* Plan to make it on your own, at least for a period of time. It's possible that you will not have access to a medical facility or even a drugstore.
* Identify what kind of resources you use on a daily basis and what you might do if they are limited or not available.
* Get an emergency supply kit.
* If you must evacuate, take your pets with you, if possible. However, if you are going to a public shelter, it is important to understand that animals may not be allowed inside.
* Plan in advance for shelter alternatives that will work for both you and your pets; consider loved ones or friends outside of your immediate area who would be willing to host you and your pets in an emergency.
Create a Support Network
* If you anticipate needing assistance during a disaster talk to family, friends and others who will be part of your personal support network.
* Write down and share each aspect of your emergency plan with everyone in your support network.
* 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 local network has an extra key to your home and knows where you keep your emergency supplies.
* Teach those who will help you how to use any lifesaving equipment, administer medicine in case of an emergency.<
* Practice your plan with those who have agreed to be part of your network.
Additional Supplies and Documents:
Medications and Medical Supplies
If you take medicine or use a medical treatment on a daily basis, be sure you have what you need to make it on your own for at least a week, maybe longer.
* Make a list of prescription medicines including dosage, treatment and allergy information.
* Talk to your pharmacist or doctor about what else you need to prepare.
* If you undergo routine treatments administered by a clinic or hospital or if you receive regular services such as home health care, treatment or transportation, talk to your service provider about their emergency plans. Work with them to identify back-up service providers and incorporate them into your personal support network.
* Consider other personal needs such as eyeglasses, hearing aids and hearing aid batteries, wheelchair batteries, and oxygen.
Emergency Documents
Include copies of important documents in your emergency supply kits such as family records, medical records, wills, deeds, social security number, charge and bank accounts information and tax records.
* Have copies of your medical insurance and Medicare cards readily available.
* Keep a list of the style and serial number of medical devices or other life-sustaining devices. Include operating information and instructions.
* Make sure that a friend or family member has copies of these documents.
* Include the names and contact information of your support network, as well as your medical providers.
* If you have a communication disability, make sure your emergency information notes the best way to communicate with you.
* Keep these documents in a water proof container for quick and easy access.
Questions and Anwers about the Elderly and Heat.
Question Why are elderly people more susceptible to heat-related illness than younger people?
Answer: One reason, experts say, is that the elderly are less sensitive to heat than they are to cold. As a result, old people living alone might not realize that it has become dangerously hot in their living space. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Elderly people do not adjust as well as young people to sudden changes in temperature. They are more likely to have a medical condition that upsets normal body responses to heat. They are more likely to take prescription medicines that impair the body’s ability to regulate its temperature or that inhibit perspiration.
Question: Are there also psychological factors?
Answer: Yes, experts say some of the elderly are reluctant t use air conditioners. “Many of them especially on the older end, were part of the the World War 11 generation and they lived through the Great Depression,” a professor of social work and associate director of the Institute for Applies Gerontology at Cal State L.A. “I think part of having gone through that is this idea that they have to conserve and watch their money.
Question: What cities experienced some of the highest, heat-related deaths?
Answer: Kansas City, Mo., and St. Louis together recorded 246 such deaths in 1980. And a massive heat wave in 1993 killed 118 people in Philadelphia. During a 1995 heat wave in Chicago, 730 people died.
Question: What is heatstroke?
Answer: The body gets so hot that the normal mechanisms for controlling temperature, such as perspiration, don’t work well or fail completely. The body’s temperature can rise to 106 degrees or higher. Symptoms include but are not limited to dizziness, hot and dry skin, high temperature, rapid pulse and headache.
What is heat exhaustion?
Answer: The body loses vital salts and water through perspiration. Symptoms include heavy sweating, muscle cramps, weakness, headache, nausea, dizziness, tiredness and paleness.
Question: What are some tips for avoiding heat-related illnesses?
Answer: Drink plenty of water but avoid caffeine and alcohol, which cause fluid loss. Drink fruit juice or sports drinks to replace salt and minerals lost through sweat. Take advantage of shade and air conditioning. Children, the elderly and pets should never be left in an enclosed vehicle, even briefly. The temperature can quickly rise to life-threatening levels even with widows partly open.