Often when a weather alert is issued, people have no shortage of available information on where and how to get to a safe place but what about when you or your family member has a physical disability that makes it difficult to walk without assistance? What if they use a large, motorized wheelchair? What if they have many essential pieces of equipment that have to come with them? What do these people do?
If you or your family member fits into any of these categories, the first thing you have to do is plan ahead. You don’t have the luxury of waiting until the last minute to figure out how to navigate safely to a place of safety. You have to plan for a potential scenario where you may have to move quickly to a specific area or evacuate for several days.
In the chaos of an emergency, you could be separated from your family members. If you, or they, are non-verbal or have physical and medical issues, this can increase one’s risk. With proper planning you can decrease the risks and increase the chances that you or your loved one is kept safe.
Getting Started
- Make a list of all the medications with names and dosages and include the names and prescribing doctors.
- When, and if possible, consider what medications can be stockpiled. Additionally, this includes oral medication if you have something like a baclofen pump. Please keep in mind that this is not always doable due to insurance and drug regulations. Also, make sure that the medication is not expired!
- When possible, create an equipment stockpile of small items that can be quickly grabbed and stashed in your go bag when necessary or ahead of time (for example, manual wheelchair tire tubes, a portable air pump, stoppers for crutches, or diabetes pump supplies).
- If possible, acquire a bag that is waterproof or otherwise will provide some protection to the items inside.
- Make sure that the clothing is weather and season appropriate.
- Consider purchasing a “Medical Alert” identifying bracelet or necklace for any non-verbal person which lists their name as well as their medical conditions.
More Preparation
- Write out a care plan for your loved one, listing relatives or other people who know how to feed and care for them. Keep a copy in a safe place in your home, your car and place a copy in your “Go Bag.”
- Decide on a place away from your home for family members to gather in the event that you are separated without phone service.
- Act out a “Shelter in Place” situation and see how quickly you can move to a safe area and assess if your equipment fits. During a tornado emergency, the safest place to shelter is often in a basement but this is often not realistic for a person who uses a power wheelchair or someone who has difficulty navigating stairs.
- Make sure you know how long it takes you to move to the safest place in your home or in the community.
- Find out where accessible community weather shelters are located. Research community resources that provide transportation or assistance to people with disabilities during inclement weather and keep those numbers saved on paper and in your phone.
- Within your home, map out the safest route in your walker or wheelchair.
- If you have a service pet, make sure you train them for inclement weather scenarios specific to your area.
- Consider purchasing an inverter so that you can plug any necessary electric device into your car if the power is off for several days.
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