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Disasters can present greater challenges for people who face mobility, health or age-related challenges. You may need to make additional considerations when preparing for an emergency. Having a plan in place will help alleviate anxiety, confusion and feelings of vulnerability in the event of an emergency.
  Personal Support Network  
   
  Personal Assessment  
   
  Personal Disaster Plan  
   
  Additional Considerations  
   
Disaster Supply Kits

Additional Resources
 
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  A personal support network can consist of friends, roommates, family members, relatives, personal attendants, co-workers and neighbors who will check in with you in an emergency to ensure you are OK and provide assistance if needed. Establishing a network will increase your preparedness and help ensure your safety in the event of a disaster. Begin by identifying the people and resources you would need to effectively respond if a disaster were to occur.  
  Organize a Network  
 
  • Choose at least three people for each location where you spend a lot of time, such as your home, gym, workplace, church or volunteer site.
  • Choose people who know your capabilities and needs and who will be able to offer help within minutes.
 
  Work Together to Prepare for a Disaster  
 
  • Discuss with network members what your personal needs would be and how they can help you in an emergency.
  • Arrange for more than one person to check on you immediately after an emergency. It is important not to rely on only one network member, as there is always the chance that they might be unable to reach you if disaster strikes.
  • Make sure your network knows how to contact you anytime critical information becomes available.
  • Teach network members how to operate any special equipment you use. It’s a good idea to label your equipment and include instructions.
  • If you feel comfortable, give network members the keys they would need to get into your home, car or any other place in order to find you in an emergency.
  • Make sure your network knows where you keep your disaster supply kit (below).
  • Practice your plan. Based on your knowledge of the disasters in your area, simulate any problems or obstacles you may experience. Have the members of your network practice how to help you, and familiarize them with any adaptive equipment you may need.
 
  Provide Network Members with Important Information  
 
  • Emergency and medical information lists
  • Lists of any special equipment and disability-related supplies
  • Personal assessment
  • Evacuation plans
  • Personal disaster plan
 
Completing a personal assessment will help you decide what you can do for yourself and what assistance you may need before, during and after a disaster. Consider the following questions and note your answers in writing or record them to share with your network. These answers should describe both your capabilities and your needs.
Daily Living
  • Personal Care: Do you need assistance with personal care, such as bathing or grooming? Do you use adaptive equipment to help you get dressed?
  • Water Service: What will you do if water service is cut off for several days or if you are unable to heat water?
  • Personal Care Equipment: Do you use a shower chair, tub transfer bench, or other similar equipment?
  • Adaptive Feeding Devices: Do you use special utensils that help you prepare or eat food independently?
  • Electricity-Dependent Equipment: How will you continue to use equipment that runs on electricity, such as dialysis and oxygen devices? Do you have a back-up power supply and how long will it last?
Getting Around
  • Disaster Debris: How will you cope with the debris in your home or along your planned exit route following a disaster?
  • Transportation: Do you need a specially-equipped vehicle or accessible transportation?
  • Errands: Do you need help to get groceries, medications and medical supplies? What if your caregiver cannot reach you because roads are blocked or the disaster has affected him or her as well?
Evacuating
  • Building Evacuation: Do you need help to leave your home or office? Can you reach and activate an alarm? Will you be able to evacuate independently without relying on auditory or visual cues?
  • Building Exits: Are there other exits (e.g. stairs, windows or ramps) if the elevator is not working or cannot be used? Do emergency alarms have auditory and visual features that will work even if electrical service is disrupted?
  • Getting Help: How will you summon the help you will need to leave the building? Do you know the locations of text telephones and phones that have amplification? Will your hearing aids work if they get wet from emergency sprinklers?
  • Mobility Aids/Ramp Access: What will you do if you cannot find your mobility aids, or cannot find or use equipment necessary for your service animal? What will you do if your ramps are shaken loose or become separated from the building?
  • Service Animals/Pets: Will you be able to care for your animal (i.e. provide food, shelter, veterinary attention) during and after a disaster? Do you have another caregiver for your animal if you are unable to meet its needs? Do you have the appropriate licenses for your service animal so you will be permitted to keep it with you should you need or choose to use an emergency public shelter?
Choose an “Out-of-Town” Contact
Following a disaster, household members should call this person and tell them where they are and if they are safe. Choose someone who lives at least 100 miles away because it is often easier to make a long distance call, rather than a local call after a disaster.
Create an Evacuation Plan
Draw the floor plans of your home and indicate at least two escape routes from each room. If someone in your home uses a wheelchair, make exits wheelchair accessible. It is also a good idea to move or secure large objects that might block your escape path.
Reduce Home Hazards
Ordinary items in your home could cause injury or damage during a disaster. Follow these steps to reduce your risk:
  • Keep the shut-off switch for oxygen equipment near your bed or chair, so you can get to it quickly if there is a fire.
  • Place large, heavy objects on lower shelves, and hang pictures and mirrors away from beds.
  • Have a professional repair defective electrical wiring and leaky gas connections.
  • Use straps and other restraints to secure tall cabinets, bookshelves, large appliances, mirrors, shelves, large picture frames, and light fixtures to wall studs.
  • Repair cracks in ceilings and foundations.
  • Store weed killers, pesticides and flammable products away from heat sources.
  • Place oily rags or waste in covered metal cans and dispose of them according to local regulations.
  • Have a professional clean and repair chimneys, flue pipes, connectors and gas vents.

Decide Where to Meet

  • Designate a meeting place outside your home where household members and/or personal care attendants should meet in case of a sudden emergency.
  • Choose a location outside your neighborhood to meet with family and network members in case you cannot return home.
Decide Which Room will be used to Seek Shelter
To prepare for a biological, chemical or radiological attack, choose a room with the least number of windows or doors so you can block out air that may contain dangerous substances. Allow ten square feet of floor space per person to provide sufficient air to prevent carbon dioxide build-up for up to five hours.
Create a Communication Plan
This plan should include contact information for: family and network members, caregiver(s), workplace, physician(s), utility or gas company, and your out-of-town contact. Also include important local numbers, such as the non-emergency number for the police department and fire department.
Link to Emergency Information List/Communication Plan Template in PDF …
 

Create a Medical Information List
This list should include the names of medication you take and their dosages, when you take a medication, the condition for which you take a medication, and the name and number of the doctor who prescribed it. Record any adaptive equipment you use, your allergies and sensitivities, and any communication or cognitive difficulties you may have. Attach copies of health insurance cards and related information to your medical information list.
Link to Medical Information List Template in PDF …
Keep At Least a Seven-Day Supply of Essential Medications
Work with your doctor to get extra supplies of medications and extra copies of prescriptions. Be sure to ask about the shelf life of your medications and what temperature they should be stored at to ensure their effectiveness.

  • Consider getting a medical alert system that will allow you to call for help if you are immobilized in an emergency. Most require a working phone line, so have a back-up plan (e.g. cell-phone or pager) if the regular landlines are disrupted.
  • If you use a personal care attendant obtained from an agency, check to see if the agency has special provisions for emergencies, such as providing services at another location should an evacuation be ordered.
  • If you have communication difficulties, prepare in advance for how you will communicate with emergency personnel. Think about what they might need to know about you and be prepared to say it briefly or keep a written copy with you.
  • Learn what to do in case of power outages and personal injuries. Know how to connect and start a back-up power supply for essential medical equipment.
  • If you use an electric wheelchair or scooter, have a manual wheelchair for backup.
  • Walking aids should be near you at all times. Store extra walking aids in different rooms throughout your home.
  • If you live in an apartment, ask the management to identify and mark accessible exits and access to areas designated for emergency shelter or safe rooms. Ask about plans for alerting and evacuating those with sensory disabilities.
  • Know how and when to turn off water, gas and electricity at the main switches or valves. Keep any tools you will need near gas and water shut off valves. Turn off the utilities only if you suspect the lines are damaged, you suspect a leak, or if local officials instruct you to do so.
  • Know where fire exits and fire extinguishers (ABC type) are at in your home or building. If you do not know how to operate a fire extinguisher
  • Install smoke alarms on each level of your home, especially near bedrooms. Individuals with sensory disabilities should consider installing smoke alarms that have strobe lights and vibrating pads. Also, consider installing a carbon monoxide alarm in your home.
  • Take a first aid/CPR & AED (Automatic External Defibrillation) class from your local Red Cross. The American Red Cross can accommodate people with disabilities; just remember to discuss your needs when registering for the class.
 
A disaster supply kit is a collection of basic items you would need to be comfortable during and after a disaster. These items should be stored in a portable container(s) as close as possible to the exit door. You may want to carry a smaller version of this supply kit in your car as well.

Prepare to be without assistance for a minimum of three days. Check off the following items once you have added them to your disaster supply kit.
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____ Stored water in sealed, unbreakable containers. Include at least 1 gallon per person per day. Water should be replaced every six months.
____ A water purification kit in the event that you can’t boil water if a “Boil Water Order” is issued by health and safety officials.
____ Food that will not spoil and requires no cooking, such as canned food, dry cereals, and snacks. Also include a manual can opener and eating utensils.
____ Portable battery-powered or wind-up radio.
____ First aid kit.
____ Whistle to signal for help.
____ Flashlight with fresh batteries.
____ Cash, coins, and a credit card.
____ Special needs items, such as prescription medications, extra eyeglasses, contact lenses, contact lens solution, and hearing aid batteries.
____ Extra clothing and blankets or sleeping bags.
____ Copies of your prescriptions, immunization records, and identification cards.
____ A multi-purpose dry chemical fire extinguisher.
____ Tools, a map of the local area, and any other items to meet your unique needs.
 
  Additional Items for Service Animals/Pets:
____ Dry food.
____ Water.
____ Litter Pan.
____ Copies of important documents, such as vaccination and medical records, sealed in a waterproof plastic bag.
____ Pet carrier, leash/harness.
____ Needed medications.
____ Current photograph of each pet to prove ownership if you need to retrieve them from a pet shelter.
 
  To prepare for a possible biological or
chemical attack, you should also include:
____ Soap.
____ Antibacterial gel.
____ Additional water for washing.
____ Rolls of duct tape and plastic sheeting to cover doors, windows, vents, and outlets in the room where you will take shelter. Pre- measure and cut your plastic sheeting in advance to save time during an emergency.
 
Disaster Preparedness for People with Disabilities http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/beprepared/disability.pdf
 
Disaster Preparedness for Seniors by Seniors http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/beprepared/seniors.html
 

Preparing for Disaster for People with Disabilities and Other Special Needs http://www.fema.gov/preparedness/prepare_guides_links.shtm#guides

 
Link/Option to download the Tulare County HHSA Emergency Preparedness Guide for Seniors … to be formatted into PDF
 
Emergency Evacuation Preparedness: Taking Responsibility for Your Safety
http://www.prepare.org/disabilities/evacuation.pdf


Emergency Evacuation Preparedness: Taking Responsibility for Your Safety
http://www.prepare.org/disabilities/evacuation.pdf
 
Ready New York: For Seniors and People with Disabilities
http://www.nyc.gov/html/oem/pdf/seniors_disabilities_english.pdf
Also available in:
Spanish - http://www.nyc.gov/html/oem/pdf/seniors_disabilities_spanish.pdf
 
Chinese - http://www.nyc.gov/html/oem/pdf/seniors_disabilities_chinese.pdf
 
Russian - http://www.nyc.gov/html/oem/pdf/seniors_disabilities_russian.pdf
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