Elderly Care Millington TN

September is National Preparedness Month. As a family caregiver this is the ideal opportunity for you to set aside some of your care time with your elderly parent to ensure that they have all of the measures and steps in place to help them be as prepared as possible for a potential emergency or disaster situation. The more prepared that they are, the more likely it is that they will not only be able to face these situations safely, appropriately, and healthily, but that they will feel confident that they can make the right decisions to get through the issue in the best way possible. Often it is this confidence that makes the difference between a person being able to get through the issue and a catastrophe occurring.

One of the most important measures that you should take when preparing an elderly adult for an emergency situation is making sure that their medications and medical supplies are managed properly. If your aging parent is like most seniors, they are coping with at least one medical or health complication. They may be suffering from several, and it is likely that they have specific medications and treatments that they use in order to cope with these. During an emergency situation, your aging parent needs to be able to access these supplies or medications, or have the information necessary to find replacements so that they can continue to stay safe and healthy throughout the situation, especially if they need to evacuate.

Use these tips to help prepare your elderly parent to manage medications and medical supplies during an emergency situation:

• Pack their emergency supply kit. An emergency supply kit is one of the most basic of emergency preparedness measures that everyone should take. This kit is full of items that your parent will need to get through a situation in which they may not have running water or electricity, or might have to evacuate their home. In addition to the items such as food, portable water, clothing, and first aid supplies that they should have in this kit, your parent should also include as much of their medical supplies as they can, including items such as wheelchair batteries, extra contacts and care supplies, extra glasses, and over the counter medications. All prescriptions should be in their original packaging and stored in a waterproof container.

• Record device information. If your parent uses medical equipment, record the item, brand, model number, and serial number of each piece of equipment and include this list with their emergency documents. This helps to ensure that they can have access to such equipment as soon as possible, and enables a smoother, more thorough insurance claim if necessary

• Make a list of instructions. Remember that your parent might not be able to effectively communicate what they need to do to take care of themselves, or how they should use their equipment or medication. Make a list of instructions that thoroughly expresses this information, including what medications they take, when they take them, dosage information, medication allergies, treatment schedules, and medical team contact information.

Source: https://www.ready.gov/seniors

For Elderly Care Services in Millington TN, please contact the caring staff at Personal Care Services MidSouth today!