A crisis can happen in the blink of an eye and if you’re prepared for almost everything, you won’t feel as if you got caught flat-footed. You might feel as if your normal duties as a caregiver don’t let you plan like this, but you might be surprised.
Put Together Some Different Plans for Different Situations
Different crises involve different solutions. If there’s a tornado or other weather-related crisis, you may want to have a plan for where you and your senior go in the house to remain safe. Other natural disasters require a different response, even evacuating your area. Others, like an unexpected hospital visit, may require something completely different on your part.
Consider Where You’d Relocate Your Senior to if Necessary
In some situations, you may need to evacuate your senior or relocate her to another place entirely. You may want to become familiar with the local emergency shelters in the areas around your senior’s home. If you’re going to be taking her to your home or to another place, you may need to have a plan for how you’ll notify whoever needs to know that she’s on her way.
Determine What Your Senior Would Need
There’s more than just grabbing your senior and going, though. She may need her medications and specific other items that help her to get safely through every day. Make sure that you’ve got a checklist of some sort that helps you to make sure you’ve got everything that she will need. This may involve stocking up on some emergency medications for her and packing a bag with extra items.
Write Down What You’re Deciding
It’s easy to believe that you’ll remember all of these plans and details and you just might. But during an actual crisis, it’s a rare caregiver who can remember every single detail that needs to be in place. Be good to yourself and don’t make yourself guess later. Write down all of the plans you’re coming up with in a format that will be easy to follow if and when you need to put them into action. You won’t be sorry you took the time to do that.
Put your plans to work in all the ways that you can in advance. That might mean putting together a go bag with extra food, water, and medicine for your senior now. Planning for a crisis means you’ll be prepared for one.