By Melanie Thompson
With the recent eruption of volcanoes in Hawaii, I’m a little grateful that my life is centered in Nebraska. All of my knowledge of lava and volcanoes comes from my high school freshman science class and enhanced by movies and television shows. However, my ideas surrounding this natural phenomenon are largely incorrect. USA published an article that helped me understand why this particular disaster currently happening in our island state can’t be stopped https://usat.ly/2K390jb.
In Nebraska, when we think of natural disasters, we often consider events like tornadoes, floods, blizzards and ice storms, and the occasional wildland fire. Is planning for a disaster like these any different than planning for a volcanic eruption or a hurricane? There are probably some subtle differences, but most of the time, having a plan, having some basic supplies and having your critical papers (birth certificates, immunization records, etc.) in an easy-to-grab container will always be good to have in place.
However, not every person in our world is able to easily prepare or take shelter during a disaster. For someone with physical mobility issues, getting to a basement or even finding transportation to a different location might prove difficult or impossible. What about people who are medication-dependent to stay alive? What do they do if their supply of medication is disrupted?
We can’t always see a person’s limitations when looking at them. They may have a health condition like a diabetic needing frequent dialysis or a mental illness that would complicate getting them to a safe place during an emergency. I recently read an article about patients with Alzheimer’s and preparing for a disaster https://www.alz.org/care/alzheimers-dementia-disaster-preparedness.asp .
If you have a loved one who has Alzheimer’s or other dementia issues, there are some steps you can take right now to make sure they are safe during a disaster. If the person lives in a residential facility, ask about that facility’s emergency plans. I can personally attest that the assisted living and nursing home facilities in Nebraska have all been revamping their emergency plans over the past few years. They would probably be happy to share that information with a resident’s family!
You would want to ensure that the emergency plans that are in place take into account if the residents use walkers or medical devices like oxygen equipment. If you live with the person, have you addressed those issues? My sister has multiple sclerosis, and her plan to get to her basement in the event of a tornado is to scoot down the stairs on her bottom and crawl or roll to a safe spot if she is alone in her home at the time. Will your loved one be able to get to shelter if she or he is alone?
Medications can be tricky in a disaster. If your pharmacy or clinic is also affected by the disaster, they may not even be available for you to talk to them. Even if they are open, their regular shipments of medications may be delayed or cancelled due to the disaster. There is information about getting medication during an emergency at https://www.alz.org/care/downloads/getcare_disaster.pdf
You probably have a general idea of what you would need in an emergency kit, but people with special needs might need additional items in their kits. Things to consider would be:
Copies of documents such as insurance cards, list of medications and other legal information
Supplies of medications (or at least the medication list with dosages indicated)
Incontinence products
A spare pair of eyeglasses
Batteries for hearing aids
A recent picture of the person with dementia, due to their tendency to wander away
Physician(s) name, address and phone numbers
For planning considerations and to find lists of items to consider for all of the other things you should have in your emergency kit, visit https://www.ready.gov/make-a-plan . And for today, if you are fortunate to not live near a volcano, I think it would be a good time to count your good fortune!