Having the tools and supplies you might require in an emergency tragic situation is part of being prepared. Your possessions should be kept in a transportable emergency kit that you may use at home or take with you if you have to leave.
Learn what constitutes an emergency preparedness kit for seniors in this article and what should be included.
What is an Emergency Kit?
An Emergency Kit is a box or bag with the tools, materials, and medicines required to conduct a preliminary evaluation and treat life-threatening diseases.
Those are tools for controlling the airway and breathing, promoting circulation, delivering basic or advanced life support, establishing intravenous access, and taking vital signs are frequently included in the package.
Putting Together An Emergency Kit
Electricity, water, heat, air conditioning, or phone service may not be available during an emergency. Everyone should have certain essentials just like an emergency checklist so a family can survive a disaster. A reliable emergency supply kit should have enough food, water, medicine, and other consumables to last seven to ten days.
Check your family’s emergency supplies, replace or rotate the food in the kit, update any medication information, take care of any specific needs, and ensure everyone has identification cards with emergency contact information.
Family emergency supplies can be assembled over several months by adding just one or two items to a grocery list and stored in brand-new, large trash cans, backpacks, or luggage. Food, water, a first aid kit, tools, copies of crucial documents, clothing and bedding, medications, and pet supplies should all be included in the kits.
Why would you need an emergency kit?
It is essential to be prepared with the appropriate materials in an emergency. People can survive after a disaster by using emergency preparedness or disaster kits. The first 72 hours following an emergency are crucial.
The proper survival equipment enables people to repair injuries, locate assistance, and more. Emergency preparedness kits can determine the difference between life and death and can help with the physical needs of our elderly.
Here are some reasons why having an emergency pack is important.
- Includes significant requirements
Emergency kits include basic emergency supplies so individuals can handle illnesses and injuries. These kits include survival food and first aid supplies, emergency water, breathing apparatuses, emergency lighting, and tools.
- Handle a Variety of Disasters
Humans can survive various catastrophes with the correct emergency supplies, including earthquakes, flu pandemics, and storms. It guarantees that individuals can get ready at work, school, or elsewhere. The kits’ contents aid in sickness prevention and basic first aid responses.
- Particular Emergency Kit Types
Customers can purchase a general emergency kit from LifeSecure or a particular kind. There are, for instance, those for autos and those intended for businesses or educational institutions.
People are kept safe and secure by having the proper meals, flashlights, heaters, and first aid supplies.
- Longest Shelf Life Ever
These kits are designed to be used immediately. The supplies are therefore designed to last. The long shelf life of emergency supplies allows them to be used for many months or even years.
The kits are exceptionally strong yet compact and portable. Every item has undergone testing to resist even the most extreme circumstances and conditions.
- Mobile Kits That Are Simple to Move
Transporting emergency kits is simple from one place to another. It makes it simple to leave the area swiftly in case of emergency or bring supplies. These kits contain LED flashers to increase visibility and safety, which can aid in individuals locating assistance.
- Being prepared never hurts.
The correct emergency pack can help individuals survive the aftermath of accidents, blizzards, tornadoes, hurricanes, and other severe weather. The adage “better to be safe than sorry” is accurate.
Basic Emergency Supply Kit
When putting together your kit, place your materials in sealed plastic bags and pack the whole thing into one or two easy-to-carry containers, like plastic bins or a duffel bag.
The following is a list of essential supplies that every emergency supply kit has to have (based on a family of four surviving for seven to 10 days).
- Whistle to summon assistance.
- Plastic sheets, duct tape, and a dust mask to assist filter contaminated air are all tools for locating a haven.
- Garbage bags, plastic ties, and moist towelettes for personal hygiene
- To turn off utilities, use a wrench or pliers.
- Food cans are opened manually.
- regional maps
- With chargers and a backup battery, a cell phone
- One gallon of water per person per day (3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home)
- Non-perishable, simple-to-prepare foods (3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home)
- Flashlight
- radio with batteries or a hand crank (NOAA Weather Radio, if possible)
- Further batteries
- Medical kit
- 7-day supply of medications and medical supplies
- Multifunctional device
- Items for personal hygiene and sanitation
Depending on the kinds of disasters prevalent in your location, below are some goods to have at home or in your survival kit:
- Whistle
- Surgical masks or N95
- Matches
- Raincoat
- Towels
- Working gloves
- Materials and tools for safeguarding your home
- Extra attire, a helmet, and sturdy footwear
- Plastic material
- Sticky tape
- Scissors
- Liquid household bleach
- Goods for entertainment
- Sleep bags or blankets
Must Read: Understanding First aid for Seniors: Emergency Response
What is an emergency medical file?
An individual’s medical history, including any existing diseases, allergies, prescriptions, and other ailments, is described in detail in an emergency medical file, which is a centralized record of crucial health information.
This information may be essential for first responders, physicians, and other healthcare professionals during urgent situations. Without access to an emergency medical file, crucial medical blunders or choices that could save lives could be postponed.
For older citizens, an emergency medical file should contain the following:
- Identification data
The front page includes the senior’s name, address, and birthdate. Consider adding a photo ID as well, as some hospitals need it to prevent insurance or billing fraud.
- Contact information for emergencies
The names, phone numbers, locations, and places of employment of a senior’s emergency contacts should also be listed at the top of the medical file.
- Information on medicine
Information found in official medical records enables emergency personnel to offer the best care.
- Physician information
List all medical professionals, their names, phone numbers, and practice locations. Include a calendar of previous and upcoming visits and correspondence with a doctor or other healthcare provider.
- Information about insurance
Include a copy of the front and back of the senior’s insurance card to ensure clarity about who to bill or how.
- Ahead-of-time directives and other related documents
If a person cannot make decisions for themselves, advance directives are legal agreements that outline the person’s intentions about medical care.
A Medical Emergency File Should Be Accessible to Whom?
Medical emergency records should be kept in easy places for paramedics and others to access. Some senior citizens put their documents in a binder that is brightly colored, well labeled, and placed near the front door or on a coffee table so that emergency personnel may see it.
Family members, the caring group, and a professional caregiver can receive extra copies. Some senior citizens and their families prefer to store these documents on a portable thumb drive or in a shared online folder.
Final Thoughts
Ensure that your kit is portable and that everyone in the household knows its location. Please keep it in an easily accessible location, like your front-hall closet, in a backpack, duffle bag, or suitcase with wheels. Your emergency pack may become cumbersome if you have a large family.
Separating some of these goods into backpacks is an excellent idea. It will make your bag more transportable and allow users to customize their grab-and-go emergency kit. Some of the supplies, like food, drink, and a battery- or wind-powered flashlight, may already be in your possession. Making sure they are well-organized and simple to find is crucial.
Further Readings
Emergency Button: Best Life Alert & Medical Alert Systems for Seniors