Home Health Aide
For Floridians, June is not just the beginning of summer, it’s also the first month of hurricane season! Ask any home health aide, and they’ll tell you: It’s imperative for caregivers to help seniors prepare for the hurricane months.
The following is a brief guideline of how to ready your aging loved one for storm season!
Schedule a Walk-Through
One of the best ways to get ready for the upcoming storm months is to schedule a walk-through of the senior’s home. Look for any potential problem areas in your aging loved one’s home that could be vulnerable to a storm. This can include, but is not limited to:
- Untrimmed trees
- Leaking ceilings
- Unshuttered windows
- Loose roof shingles
By addressing these problems before hurricane season, you can save you and your senior a lot of grief in the future!
Create a Network
If you are a long-distance caregiver, it is imperative to have some helpers on the ground! This could be a neighbor, nearby friend, or home health aide. The goal is to have a point of contact that can be there with your loved one to assist during the hurricane.
If you cannot have a caregiver throughout the storm, it’s best to have at least three people who can provide check-ins for your loved one. You’ll want these three people to be responsible for checking in before and after the storm.
Prepare for a Power Shut-Off
It’s expected: losing power is just another component of living in a hurricane. Yet, for many seniors, losing power can be increasingly detrimental to health. Heat, lack of clean water, and expired food can all put your loved one at risk.
Thus, the best way to prepare for a power shut-off is to have the essentials already. Purchase a generator and have an ample amount of fuel for said appliance.
For supplies, you should collect at least 5 days worth of needs. This includes a gallon of water per person per day, non-perishable food that is easily prepared, a first aid kit, and medications.
Have an Evacuation Plan Ready
With all storm scenarios, it helps to hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Thus, you’ll want to prepare for the possibility of your loved one needing to evacuate.
Check your local government to see what evacuation area you are zoned for. Prepare a “to-go” bag: include your loved one’s medications, fully charged portable charging devices, first aid kit, water, and important documents.
