Disasters Crop Up Without Warning! Are You Prepared?

Brown rice cooking in the electric cooker! Yum! Breakfast ready soon! Oh no! The lights went out. What happened? It’s a beautiful spring day. No clouds in the sky. But, guess what? I’m not prepared. I have ignored disaster planning for invisibly disabled people, of which I am certainly one.

Good news, though. In this case, the utility’s three hour estimate turned out to be 90 minutes. And it was a warm day, so I didn’t have to worry about heat. It was daytime, so I didn’t have to worry about BiPAP usage.

But, I probably should get serious about this.

Questions for a plan:

• Do I have a written plan? No.
• Do I need assistance with personal care or use adaptive equipment for dressing? No.
• Do I have plans in case water or electricity is out for several days? Water, yes. Electricity, no.
  • Do I have an alternative method to power my BiPAP at night? No.
• Do I have a plan to run errands if Joe is not available? No.
• Do I use a specially equipped vehicle for transportation needs? Yes.
• Does my community have emergency services that fit my needs? I don’t know.
• Do my sons have my cell number? Yes.
• Do I have a caregiver? Yes, Joe.
  • Alternates? Yes, one son nearby.
• Can I exit my house and other places I frequent? Yes.

Lots of questions to consider. Adapt these questions to your individual situation, add questions as needed, then make a plan.

Where will you be when an emergency hits? Advance planning can be life-saving, especially for the disabled. All people face common needs during emergencies, but disabled people encounter additional difficulties.

Consider your needs in advance. If even one disaster happens, a plan already in place can make a difference in comfort or even safety.

Four steps for disaster planning for invisibly disabled people

1. Get informed.

• Speculate about different kinds of emergencies: fire, power outage, severe storms, medical emergencies
• Discover what plans your community has in place for emergencies.
• Find out if there are any plans for special needs.
• Think about your unique disabilities and consider what help you would need.
• Find people resources: three people, since any one might not be available to help.
• Consider where you spend a lot of time and figure out if you can get home.
• Check out local shelters to see if they’re set up to care for your particular needs.

2. Make a plan.

• Meet with your family and/or helpers to consider communications plans, escape routes, contacts, and transportation needs.
• Remember your pets.

3. Assemble a kit.

• This kit should include: food and water for 3 days; kitchen accessories & utensils;  radio, flashlight, batteries; sanitation and hygiene supplies; extra clothing and blankets; first-aid kit; whistle; matches; lights; photocopies of ID and credit cards; cash and coins; prescriptions, glasses, hearing aids; supplies for your children and pets; anything for your special needs.
• Obviously, some of these supplies cannot be kept in the kit. For example, prescriptions, glasses, and hearing aids. But you could keep a list of where each item can be found, so you don’t have to stop and think during the stress of an emergency.

4. Maintain your plan and kit.

• Review your plan every 6 months.
• Restock supplies as needed.

Well, guess I better go write down a plan. How about you?

With all this information, are you ready to start? It’s lots of work, but it will pay off big time if you unfortunately need it. Don’t get caught unprepared. Start soon. Plan thoroughly. Be prepared beforehand!

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