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Curious how independent and assisted living seniors navigate emergency preparedness for natural disasters.
For assisted seniors, I understand the caregiver/nurse/assistant living in the house (versus a facility/community) would be the captain of that ship; how is the ship prepared & evacuation practiced? How can neighbors assist?
For independent seniors, living in their own home or in a community, what is the plan? I realize owning & living in a home/condo is different than living in a large community with a residential office & property staff. Curious how independents prepare before the alarm rings. What neighborhood resources do you use? Thank you!

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We had ice this past winter. I asked staff at my mom's Memory Care how they handled that. She said there are beds on site for staff so they stay overnight if needed and they have enough food for everyone. I also noticed in the last two years they put in what looks like a generator and another backup heating source. I was very pleased at the steps they took before anything could happen. The MC is within town limits so they would get power back on more quickly than one that was farther out.
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Reply to JustAnon
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CaringBee 12 hours ago
Thank you! I was also curious about seniors in Memory Care. Glad the staff have beds for themselves to stay overnight. Curious if the MC staff and residents have practiced an evacuation drill. My in-laws, in independent living, participated in a fire drill evacuation, and they had a rude awakening. When the loud alarm rang, they soon realized that their bodies & minds weren’t moving as quickly as they did 32 years ago during the ‘94 Northridge earthquake. So we were thankful to learn a new strategy.
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This is something I thought about a lot when my sister and I were caregiving my quadriplegic father. The thought of trying to successfully weather a natural disaster (like a major earthquake here in California 😬) with a frail senior in tow was nerve-racking.

But we took small steps of preparedness that I think made sense: buying and maintaining basic earthquake supplies (dried food, stored water and water purification supplies, etc), battery-powered lanterns and a charged-up power supply for power outages, etc. etc. Fire extinguishers, including one in Dad’s bedroom.
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Reply to SnoopyLove
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I' ve always tried to stay somewhat prepared for minor setbacks my father instilled this in me as we were growing up. a He always have a backup for heating especially. I've been kinda sort of prepping. With solar chargeable gadgets like flashlights and a radio that not only solar charges but has a hand crank on it as well. Watching You Tube videos is a great place to start , They have usuful list so you can create to add a little as you go, or go shopping and stock up. Most important get what you like or may need. Lets take Sardines, while at the top of alot of peoples list YUCK yuck yuck they may be a rich source of something, but no thanks I'm sure I can find a suitable replacement. The key is get what you like and whats important for you and who your careing for. Thanks S.S.
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Reply to sheepherder
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Mom lived in her own home that was on a river. A lot of seniors lived in low lying areas near the water in Mom's region.

When Mom was enrolled in home hospice the RN asked for a list of facilities to transfer Mom to should she need to be evacuated due to rising water during a storm. I ranked a list of facilities for hospice. (I'd been visiting them)
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Reply to brandee
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My Township has an Emergency management dept so does the county. You may want to check with them how are they prepared. Because my husband is profoundly deaf, he is on a list so in case of emergency they know they need to come to the house to make him aware of evacuations. Every so often the call for updated info.
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Reply to JoAnn29
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I live in a location where the biggest weather-related threats are snow and cold in the winter and thunderstorms, tornadoes, and windstorms in the spring and summer. I'm cautious about weather-related threats because I'm a worrier and because a tree fell on my house a few years ago, so I know that bad things can happen.
I can handle steps so I can get into and out of the basement. I practiced with my dog, who has only three legs, so he can come with me to the basement. I put on my bike helmet during tornado warnings when I'm in the basement. If you live in an area with tornadoes, I recommend getting a bike helmet for everyone in your residence. If not for everyone, get a bike helmet for anyone who can't get to a "safe space," such as a basement.
My mom lives in a city about 50 miles away. Although close, it seems to have significantly more storms than where I live. I know that in the past, staff members at the assisted-living facility have moved residents into their bathrooms during bad storms. I don't know whether they still do that.
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