Emergency Plan for Older Adults

Headline 1: Objective

Natural disasters including drought, earthquakes, hunger and diseases such as corona virus have become part of human being’s daily life. The most vulnerable individuals in the society comprising the aged need to be protected from such phenomena.
Therefore, it is necessary for every emergency supplies to have a plan on hand for a healthy older adult. This equips the older generation with the knowledge on how to deal with such occurrences’ hence save their lives.
A caring community ensures there is coordination between society, political representatives, and government and non-government agencies in order to curb the disasters (Shih et al., 2018). The government should play its role by setting up funds to provide essential needs to the affected citizens.
Organizations such as red cross should be in the forefront in providing first aid care to save lives.
The home environment should also be safe and equipped for any emergency (Southerland et al., 2018)

The emergency supplies should have telephone numbers to facilitate communication.
There should be better healthcare system in and out of hospital, and well laid dischargement plans (Biese et al., 2018).
Get a medical identification tag, armband, anklet or bracelet.
The elderly should have some written evidence about their treatment and medication.
Follow up is essential to assess the current condition of health and a possibility of any side effects that may occur.

The health status of the aging deteriorates with time hence they need a special diet to survive.
The poor financial status and low energy to work is a major hindrance to a better living for these individuals.
Some have disabilities which may be associated with aging or may be from birth.
Walking can be difficult for the lame hence hindering their movements. When emergencies occur, they may not be able to escape and this causes more damage (Shir et al., 2018).
Lack of awareness on possible emergencies is also a need which should be addressed. The old should be educated on how to cope with such incidences and first aid procedures.

Before an emergency strikes, a personal plan is prepared following the steps below.
Choosing one person in contact who will check on the elderly individual and find a better way on how they will communicate either through phone or other means.
A contact list should be created containing all their information and left in a supply kit. This can facilitate easy location for further treatment.
A place to vacate to and means to reach there should be well laid. If a person is living in a native land, they should make necessary arrangements and have documents that can allow them move out.
Create a care plan and keep it in the supply kit.

After the disaster, one might find themselves in an isolated place and it could be difficult for them to adapt.
It is also necessary for one to have access to food and other essentials.
Keep personal documents in a waterproof bag, as they are required before receiving any government support.
Moreover, copies might be required in some situations and cyber cafes might not be available.
List all medications and exact names of drugs and contact information for personal doctor if possible.

A well-organized independent couple can access easy help during any emergencies. It is better to prepare for a disaster in advance to avoid the last-minute rush.
One should be able to communicate with contact persons and therefore likely to evade the adversity.
Their location is easily reachable by other members since a contact list can trace their whereabouts.
Having some money and access to food ensure basic needs are available with ease.
Having a medical history at hand like the diabetes and pressure patient records is essential to avoid some other complications. First aid done can involve giving clients sugar which can go against the diet of a diabetes patient.

Biese, K. J., Busby‐Whitehead, J., Cai, J., Stearns, S. C., Roberts, E., Mihas, P.,… & Kizer, J. S. (2018). Telephone follow‐up for older adults discharged to home from the emergency department: A pragmatic randomized controlled trial. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 66(3), 452-458. Web.

Shih, R. A., Acosta, J. D., Chen, E. K., Carbone, E. G., Xenakis, L., Adamson, D. M., & Chandra, A. (2018). Improving disaster resilience among older adults: insights from public health departments and aging-in-place efforts. Rand Health Quarterly, 8(1). 3. Web.