Prepping for the Elderly

As we get older and our bodies break down, there are several extra things we need to take into consideration when prepping:

• Medications--do you have at least a month's medications in reserve in case you have no access to a pharmacy?  Also keep paper/digital records of all of your prescriptions.
• Eye glasses--if you can't see without them, consider getting a second pair to have in reserve.  Also have a copy of your eye glass prescription on hand.
• Hearing aids--keep your old ones just in case the new ones get lost/broken and have lots of spare batteries for both.
• Mobility--whether you need a cane, walker, wheel chair, or scooter, consider how you would evacuate/maneuver around your home during a disaster (earthquake, extended power outage, etc).
• Dentures--your old dentures won't fit after a month or so with new dentures so be able to fix the new ones if they break (Super Glue works for this).  Keep denture cleanser as well as denture adhesive in reserve. Other options may include permanent dentures or implants.  Dentures have a limited lifespan so plan on replacements as your dentist recommends.
• Evacuation--if you no longer drive or rely on public transit, consider how you would evacuate in the event of a disaster (call a friend or family member for a ride?).  Plan how you would evacuate from your home during a fire.
• Critical medical needs--if you rely on a ventilator, oxygen, dialysis, etc. and will die without these things, consider what would happen during a disaster.  Do you need to evacuate prior to a disaster?  Do you need a generator and spare fuel?  Does your community have a plan for oxygen delivery?
• Are you doing as much as you can everyday to keep your health in check such as eating well, strength and balance exercises, etc?
• Do you have assistive devices to meet your needs (such as smoke detectors that flash if you can't hear well, grab bars if you are unsteady on your feet, medical alert devices if needed, etc)?
• Do you have a plan with neighbors, friends or relatives to help you during a disaster?  
• Do neighbors, friends, or relatives have a key to your home and is their name/number posted on your front door/window with an "in case of emergency" notice?
• Are all of your important papers in order (and digitally backed up) including a Will, Medical Power of Attorney, life insurance, a pre-planned/pre-paid funeral, all financial documents, a list of passwords/access codes, etc?
• Do you have enough food, water, and supplies to stay in your home for up to a month without assistance from the outside (water should be rotated and easy enough for you to pick up, food should be easy to cook or able to eat cold if necessary, supplies should include toilet paper/adult diapers if needed/wet wipes/hand sanitizer/first aid supplies/etc).
• Do you have a plan for alternate heating/cooking/water supply/cooling without assistance from the outside?
• Has your home been "disaster proofed" in regard to the most common type of emergencies in your area?  Don't forget to "fall proof" your home as well.
• Do you have an emergency evacuation bag (BOB) that you can "grab and go" at a moment's notice?
• What will you do with your pets during a disaster?  Do you have extra food/supplies/gear for them on hand?
• Can you shut off your utilities during a disaster by yourself?
• Do you have several ways to communicate with friends/neighbors/relatives before, during, and after a disaster?
• Does your community have a way for you to register for additional assistance during a disaster (sometimes Senior Centers, Area Agency on Aging, the Red Cross keep a list of vulnerable people in the community)?
• Have you researched disaster prep options in your community (what do emergency sirens sound like, where are local emergency shelters/cooling stations, what are the best sources of local news and disaster alerts, etc)?
• Have you considered volunteering in your local community to prepare for a disaster (senior centers, the Red Cross, CERT teams, etc can always use more volunteers)?
• Do you have extra cash on hand (hidden of course) to use during a disaster?
• Are all of your insurance coverages up to date and paid for?
• Are you aware of what to do after a disaster (how to file insurance claims, how to apply for FEMA assistance if available, how to avoid scams, how to seek medical/psychological assistance if needed, etc)?

There's a baseline that everyone should have for being prepared but if you or someone you love has additional needs such as being elderly, ill, infirm, a small child, etc. additional preparedness should be done ahead of any possible disaster.

Prepping for the Seriously Ill and Infirm

If you are an average healthy person with enough money to prep and enough time to practice, you will be at the top of the food chain when it comes to a SHTF scenario.  If you, or someone you love, however is seriously ill or infirm, you have a lot of extra work to do to get prepared.  Here's how:

• If you have babies, consider what you would need as far as extra preps go.  Stockpiling diapers and formula?  Adding an assortment of children's medicine to your first aid kit?  Purchasing cloth diapers to use in an emergency?
• If you wear glasses or contacts, do you have a spare pair of glasses in your BOB?
• If you need hearing aids, consider stocking up on batteries and, when you get a new pair, tuck away your old hearing aids, along with a quantity of batteries, for use in a disaster should your new hearing aids become damaged.
• If you wear dentures, again, consider tucking away your old pair for use during an emergency should your newer pair break.  Obviously this isn't ideal as the structure of your mouth changes over time making your old dentures virtually unusable but it is better than nothing.  Note that dentures can and do break but they can usually be super glued back together for a temporary fix.  Also, consider implants which are less likely to break and have a longer lifespan.
• If you need prescription medication, ask you doctor for a 90 or 120 day prescription and be sure to renew your prescriptions early so you will always have enough meds to see you through an extra few weeks.  Be sure to put some of your medications in your EDC and BOB in case you need them and are not home to access your usual medications.  Also, keep a list of your medications (names, dosages, copies of prescriptions) in your wallet in case you are evacuated without your meds and need to get new prescriptions.
• If you suffer from severe allergies, consider stockpiling a few EpiPens, asthma inhalers, etc.  Note that these can be expensive and expire rather quickly.  If your doctor will write you a prescription and teach you to draw your own Epi you may be in a more favorable position.
• If you require insulin which must be refrigerated, consider you options beforehand and plan accordingly.  Purchasing a 12-volt cooler which can be plugged into your vehicle may be an option.
• If you require oxygen, ask your doctor about your options.  You can store additional tanks of oxygen, you can ask your local Department of Emergency Management or hospital disaster coordinator if they have contingency plans for providing oxygen during a disaster, you can get a portable oxygen concentrator but note that these still require you to be able to charge the battery so consider how you would do this if the power goes out (car charger? generator?).
• If you require critical care and will literally die if a disaster happens and your power goes out (ie: on a ventilator) consider installing a back-up generator and stockpiling extra fuel.  Again, ask your doctor/hospital disaster coordinator/department of emergency management for preparedness options up to and including pre-evacuation before a possible disaster.
• If you require other kinds of critical care (such as dialysis) and will literally die if you are unable to access medical care during a disaster, consider your option.  Obviously pre-evacuating prior to a possible disaster such as a hurricane or tornado is a good idea.  Also, ask your local department of emergency management about Special Needs Shelters, where they will be located, and how to access them.
• Put together a local team.  People who are ill or infirm, mentally ill, or physically debilitated need a team of people to help them out after a disaster.  Able-bodied people who can help extricate someone in a wheel chair after their house falls down due to an earthquake are an important part of the team.  A neighbor who can check on an elderly person to make sure their needs are taken care of before and after a disaster is also important.  Pre-planning is absolutely  necessary when it comes to caring for people who are ill or infirm and cannot take care of themselves before, during or after a disaster.

For additional information on preparing with a serious illness or infirmity, go here, here, and here.

10 More Prep Tips for Seniors

As long as we are on the topic of seniors, let’s go ahead and discuss ways that we can prepare seniors (whether ourselves or our aging friends and relatives) for a disaster (personal, natural, man-made, etc)…

1. One of the most important ways for seniors to protect themselves is to avoid falls.  This was an excellent point made by a reader who commented on the last post.  Senior falls are far and away the leading cause of accidental death and injury for seniors in our country.  Obviously not doing activities that will lead to falls is one way to prevent such an event but also exercising to keep as much strength and balance as possible, making their home fall safe (like getting rid of throw rugs that can cause trips and falls), and putting grab bars near the toilet and shower are all ways to help prevent unexpected falls.
2. A friend of mine has found an ingenious use for his old fitness tracker.  He was worried about his 90 year old mother who still lives by herself a few states away and he came up with the idea to give her his old FitBit that he wasn’t using.  He was concerned that, aside from calling her each morning, there would be no way to tell if she fell or otherwise became incapacitated until he couldn’t reach her the next day.  With her wearing the fitness tracker, he can literally log into the program on his computer that syncs with the program for her FitBit and see how much activity she is getting by the hour.  Should this number unexpectedly drop, he can give her a call to make sure everything is OK.  It’s a simple fix for both of them.
3. Unfortunately, seniors are the number one target for personal fraud in our country.  They are easy pickins because they trust people and, these days, there are so many ways to reach lonely seniors (via the phone, an email, or a knock at the door) that someone who wants to relieve an elderly person of their hard-earned money only needs to make up a clever story and wait for the money to roll in.
4. We—you, me, and everyone else who reads this blog—pride ourselves on being prepared for a disaster.  We spend our time, effort, and money getting ready for whatever man or nature might throw at us.  But what about the seniors in our lives?  There are a number of ways to help seniors prepare for a disaster from making sure they have the items necessary for a power outage or being snowed in (in the old days, this wasn’t called disaster preparedness but normal living, but I digress…) to getting them involved with community organizations that help prepare seniors for the most common disasters likely to hit their area.
5. Health and wellness is just as important for seniors as everyone else.  Unfortunately people look at those who are aging and see them on a downward spiral towards death.  This doesn’t have to be true.  In fact, many times when seniors are having a “senior moment” it can be something fixable.  Like medications that causes side effects, glasses with a very old prescription that no longer works, unsteadiness due to lack of exercise or falling blood sugar, etc.  Seniors need to stay on top of their health just like everyone else and, more importantly, find a doctor who takes care of each health issue individually instead of adding another prescription to fix the latest symptom.
6. Seniors also need to socialize.  Once you retire, literally no one cares if you ever leave you house.  Your spouse and kids might get kind of worried but there is no one, like your boss, saying you absolutely need to be anywhere any more.  Some seniors fix this by shopping (I know one guy who hits up the Goodwill nearly every single day).  I wouldn’t recommend this as you probably have enough stuff already.  Some are in the casino every single day (another expensive proposition), while others volunteer, keep working (talk to your tax accountant about this), or join an exercise group (like a bowling league, walking group, or even do tai chi in the park).  
7. Ideally socializing would be combined with exercise but for some people, socializing isn’t high on their list of priorities once it isn’t necessary for work.  Exercise, however, is a requirement if you want to age well.  I was just talking to a guy today who is 85, he retired out of the Special Forces after 30 years, and his girlfriend (yes, he has a very nice girlfriend) reports that he would gladly re-up, even at his age, if they would let him.  The funny thing is, however, he would put most recruits to shame, even at his age, since he runs every day, plays tennis three times a week, bowls four times a week, and lifts weights in his spare time.  In short, he is in much better physical condition that most people a quarter of his age.  Not only does exercise help prevent you from falling but it is great for your overall health as well.
8. Another thing you can do (for yourself or to help out a senior) is to do a home safety check.  There are plenty of things that people put off fixing (a loose stair, a burned out lightbulb, a fraying rug, etc) that can cause real injuries if not fixed immediately.  Also, safety improvements can be made as you go along.  Things such as installing a good bolt lock, adding an automatic opener to the gate for ease of use, or installing a full-fledged security system are also projects to consider.
9. Aside from hearing aids and glasses, instruments that many seniors need to navigate through their later years, having a few other items on hand can make life much easier as well.  Items such as magnifying glasses (when did they start making instructions and other type so small??), a long-armed “grabber”, a proper step stool with a handle, tools to easily open jars, etc. can simplify tasks that can become more difficult as you age.
10. Finally, know when to fold ‘em.  In other words, there is aging gracefully (and knowing your limitations) and there is aging stubbornly (you know in the back of your mind you have limitations but they will take your car keys out of your cold, dead hands).  I know that my vision at night isn’t as good as it once was (plus they kill off about one pedestrian every other night in Vegas because people jump out in front of your car wearing all black and try to sprint across six lanes of fast moving traffic) so for those reason I don’t often drive at night any more.  I know I can do marathons so those are still on my “to do” list, however, while I used to rock climb quite a bit in my younger days, the idea of dangling my carcass off a sheer rock face just doesn’t have the appeal that it used to.

100 Prep Tips for Seniors

...because I haven't covered this topic in a while...
If you are a senior, going to be a senior, or help seniors (and I'm talking about older people, not high school kids), here's a bunch of tips to help you become better prepared/safer:

1. Take your name off your mail box (put an address only on the box)
2. Take your name off your voice mail (put a phone number only here; ie: you have reached 610-555...)
3. If possible install a locking mailbox and deposit your outgoing mail in a locked box as well.
4. Go to http://www.annualcreditreport.com/ and review your credit reports for free to make sure the information is correct (don't use those other supposedly free credit report websites)
5. Inventory your home--either written or on video--and be sure to update the inventory annually.
6. Write down your doctor's name and number, a list of your current medications and dosages, and a couple of emergency contacts with name and phone numbers then stick this paper on your refrigerator.
7. If you need a DNR order, post this on your refrigerator or next to your bed too (ask your doctor for details)
8. Exercise every single day (this will go a long way towards improving your health and balance)
9. Volunteer (this will go a long way towards both keeping your mind and body active and warding off depression)
10. Put together a "neighborhood watch" of sorts with other seniors in your neighborhood (I know seniors in many retirement communities who do this because they don't have family near by so if their neighbors note that they haven't been out in a while they go and check on them to make sure they haven't fallen or worse)
11. Fix anything that could be a falling hazard in your house (loose stairs, throw rugs you can trip over, etc)
12. Make sure your fire alarms work (this is a simple test that takes only seconds)
13. Put a BOB together (EVERYONE should have one of these whether you are 1 or 100)
14. If you must evacuate your house, throw all of your medications in a bag and take them with you (evacuation centers usually don't have any way to provide you medications if you forget yours)
15. Try to get 90 day refills of all of your medications so you will always have extra on hand.
16. Make sure your Will, Power of Attorney, Medical Power of Attorney, and Living Will have been recently updated.
17. Make a list of each bill you pay each month.  Review this list and see if you really need to still be paying for some of the items (ie: if you are a single senior, don't have anyone dependant on your income, and have enough savings to cover your funeral, you probably don't need to be paying for life insurance; if you are still paying to rent a phone from your home phone carrier, go buy one--it will save you money)
18. Make sure your home is safe (bushes don't obscure windows, doors have dead bolt locks, there is a peephole in your door, etc)
19. Have an attorney and a CPA you can trust (and don't turn your financial/legal affairs over to the nice lady down the street; have a professional with a good track record for those things)
20. Review your investments periodically with your CPA (things you invested in when you were younger may not be in your best interest as you advance in age)
21. Take a senior driving class (besides giving you a discount on insurance, it will point out ways you can driver safer as you age)
22. Put grab bars where you need them before you need them (by the bed, by the toilet and shower, etc)
23. Stay off ladders! (Serious falls off ladders by people aged 45 and up are increasingly common)
24. Cross at crosswalks! (Ditto for trying to sprint across the road between intersections)
25. Carry a whistle and a flashlight on your key ring.
26. Use nightlights around your home if you tend to get up in the middle of the night.
27. Double check your medications before you take them (one lady I know has a sheet of photos of her medications, and prescribed dosage, so she can remember what it is she is taking)
28. If you have new medical concerns, discuss them with your doctor (many people see signs of aging as, well, signs of aging instead of the important medical condition they can become.  Check to see if your new symptoms are something that need a medical evaluation)
29. If you must smoke, do so only outside and extinguish your cigarettes fully before you go back inside (fire from unattended cigarettes are more common as you age)
30. If you must drink, don't drive (actually that rule is for everyone)
31. If you must drink, ask your doctor how to do so with the medications you are currently taking.
32. Lock up your medications (this will keep them out of the hands of your grandchildren and visitors to your house)
33. Lock up your firearms (ditto)
34. If you have firearms that you intend to use for self defense, practice regularly.
35. Have your chimney cleaned regularly if you use your fireplace or wood stove often.
36. Have a CO2 detector installed in your home.
37. Arrange your kitchen for safety (you may want to move items from high shelves down where you can easily reach them; you may want to move the microwave to a counter instead of over the stove)
38. Write your name, address, and phone number down and leave it by the phone (this could be helpful to you--and your guests--in an emergency)
39. Have your hearing and eyes checked annually; if corrections need to be made, do so immediately (ie: a new lens prescription or better hearing aids, etc)
40. Hold a fire drill.  Yes I know this is more fun with the kids but if you are by yourself, you will need to know that your plan for evacuation is something you can actually pull off (ie: you may need to crawl out on the roof from the guest room instead of shimming straight down a rope from your second floor bedroom)
41. Keep a charged fire extinguisher in the kitchen and in the garage if you do projects in your garage (wood working, furniture refinishing, etc)
42. Put together a stellar first aid kit.
43. Be sure that you have a stash of easy to cook foods (canned soup, crackers, etc) that you can easily prepare if you are ill and don't feel like cooking an entire meal.
44. Make sure the areas you walk around your home in the evening (drive way and walk ways) are well lit.
45. Make sure any electrical circuit near water (in the kitchen and bathrooms) have GFI switches on them.
46. Set your hot water tank to 120 degrees (this will both save money on water heating and prevent scalding)
47. Beware of extension cords, these can be both a tripping hazard and can overheat and cause a fire.
48. Make sure you have easy access to phones in the places you are most likely to need them (by your chair in the living room, by your bed, etc)
49. Move if necessary (this is a huge psychological thing but I have seen too many seniors try to hold onto homes that don't suit them--too much land to care for, all of the bedrooms are on the second floor, etc--when they probably should have moved to a home that is much better suited to their current needs)
50. Make a list of community service agencies before you need them (211, Meals on Wheels program, Senior Center locations, Adult Services Agency, etc) 
51. Keep a flashlight and a pair of shoes next to your bed.
52. Make sure the shoes you wear are safe (tennis shoes are better than slippers or heels which can cause falls)
53. Hang out with your friends (regular socialization makes people less prone to depression)
54. Do things to keep your mind active (cross word puzzles, sudoku, learning new things, etc)
55. Always have an emergency fund.
56. Keep the majority of your money in a bank (and obviously never flash the money you do carry with you in public, that's just asking to be robbed)
57. Get on the Do Not Call registry (https://www.donotcall.gov/)
58. Beware of fraud whether via email, telemarketers, door to door sales people, etc (seniors are a huge target for scammers)
59. Don't invite people into your house (if you are selling something on CraigsList, meet the buyer at a safe, neutral location; if someone comes to your home and asks to use your phone, take your cell phone outside for them to use; etc)
60. If you need some sort of work done (to your car, to your house), take a younger, knowledgeable friend or family member with you.
61. If you are prone to falls or heart attack, consider signing up for a Life Alert-type system.
62. Get a pet (this has been shown to alleviate loneliness and depression and actually lead to a longer life for seniors; dogs are also a pretty good burglar deterrent)
63. If you need medical aids, use them (some people want to put off using hearing aids, canes, walkers, etc as long as possible but this can create dangerous situations; better safe than sorry)
64. Watch your step (try to avoid having slippery floors, stairs with slipper surfaces, bathtubs should have non-skid surfaces, etc)
65. Each time you visit your doctor, take all of your prescriptions--or a written list of them--and have your doctor review them for drug interactions (don't forget to tell him about non prescription pills you take too)
66. Review your driving.  If you have trouble seeing at night, don't drive at night.  If you have gotten into a number of fender benders, consider whether it is time to stop driving.
67. Make your home look lived in--both day and night--to deter burglars.
68. Check into transportation alternatives before you need them (the local bus system, the local senior "access" bus system, etc)
69. Plan your own funeral (most people don't like to think about this but of the people I know who did plan their own funerals, the arrangements worked out much better than when grieving family members did this)
70. If you have specific things you want to give to your loved ones, consider doing it before you pass--not only do you get to see them enjoying your things while you are still alive but it eliminates problems after you pass.
71. Leave a key to your house with a trusted neighbor in case of emergency.
72. Always keep your car and home locked up (windows too!) whether you are home or not.
73. Make sure your home is easy to find if you have a medical emergency (house numbers should be clearly marked, etc)
74. Learn how to pay bills and bank online and have your pension checks direct deposited to your bank account (this alleviates any problem you may have when paying with cash or sending payments through the mail)
75. Protect your personal information (be careful who you give out your social security number, credit card number, or other personal information to; shred any documents with your personal information on them)
76. Travel in groups.  Whether heading out to the theater or around the world, go with others to increase your personal safety.
77. Be sure to stop the newspaper and hold your mail when you go on vacation so you don't tip off burglars that your home is unoccupied.
78. Practice good internet safety (many senior centers have classes on this; don't put your vacation plans on FaceBook, don't respond back to scammy emails, don't click on pop up ads, etc)
79. Walk around your house at night and be sure that people outside can't see into your house.
80. Listen to your body when it comes to sports and other avocations (ie: if you like bowling, you may want to eventually switch to a lighter bowling ball; if you used to shoot a 10 gauge shotgun, you may want to switch to something lighter like a 12gauge or even a 24 gauge if you can still find one; if you usually play singles tennis, consider doubles, etc)
81. If someone comes to your door that you don't recognize, ask to see ID (this can include everyone one from law enforcement to someone from the gas or cable company)
82. Have a way to protect yourself when you are in your home (this may be via a firearm, a knife by your bedside, or even a loud air horn)
83. If you become a victim of crime--any type of crime--report it immediately. Not only will this help you but it could prevent others from becoming a victim as well.
84. If you see something odd, report it.  Seniors are usually home in the daytime and may notice a strange car lurking about or someone going in through the neighbor's window.
85. How big is your purse? It shouldn't be a huge monstrosity that carries everything but the kitchen sink.  Carry a small purse with just the important things in order to stay safe (it makes you less of a target for thieves, means that if your purse is snatched you have less to lose, and it allows you to have full range of motion with your arms)
86. Kid-proof your house before the grand kids come over (lock up medications and firearms, remove clutter, maybe even put the dog in a bedroom if it gets anxious around children)
87. Connect with the outside world regularly--via email, phone calls, even HAM radio nets (it's a sad thing when someone is found dead in their home days or even YEARS after they passed because they weren't in regular communication with anyone who would know that they had gone missing)
88. Stay home if it isn't safe to go out (icy roads, snowy walkways, a dust storm that makes allergies worse, etc)
89. Always carry a cell phone with you (even if you don't like cell phones you can get a cheap one with a minimum of minutes to use in an emergency)
90. Check out your clothes--are any of them tripping (like long house dresses) or fire (blouses with flowing sleeves near the stove) hazards?
91. Study up on the latest in child safety if you will be taking care of the grand kids (ie: child seats and bike helmets are required these days, babies are now put to sleep on their backs, babies shouldn't share a bed with anyone, etc)
92. Practice pet safety: always keep your pet's vaccines up to date, train your pet so they aren't a tripping hazard, when outside always have your pet on a leash, etc.
93. Call 911 when necessary (a medical emergency, you hear a burglar, to do a welfare check on a neighbor) but don't become a "frequent flyer" (don't call them when a call to your doctor would be more appropriate)
94. Practice car safety: keep the gas tank at least half full, keep your car in good working order, always check the back seat when you get into your car, don't park in secluded areas, etc.
95. Practice financial safety: never co-sign a loan for anyone, never loan money to people if that isn't part of your financial plan, never give your ATM card and pin # to anyone, etc.
96. If you, or a senior you know, are suffering from elder abuse, report it immediately to local authorities.
97. Keep a reasonable stockpile of supplies you use often (toilet paper, adult diapers, food, toiletries, etc) in your home (we aren't talking "hoarders" here, just a reasonable supply so that if you can't get to the store for a week or two it won't be a big deal)
98. Follow the same personal safety advice you would give your grand kids (don't walk alone, avoid alley ways and doorways, don't walk at night in rough areas, etc)
99. Be sure you are eating well.  Sometimes when cooking for one instead of a family we slack off and either don't cook the most nutritious of food or skip meals; don't do this.
100. Help other seniors.  If you have practiced all of these safety and preparedness tips, consider teaching them to other seniors (this type of information comes best from other seniors who have been there, done that, instead of from a 20 year old who has no clue; share what you learn so others can benefit as well)