Hurricane season begins June 1 and that means it’s time to start thinking about your disaster plans.
Caregivers for those living with Alzheimer’s or other dementia have to be especially aware to ensure the health and safety of loved ones.
When making plans, consider these tips for dementia-affected loved ones:
- Shelters can be challenging environments for those living with Alzheimer’s or other dementia. Consider staying with friends or family. If you must, use a special needs shelter, try to visit it ahead of time and ensure it meets their needs.
- If the person with dementia lives in a residential building or attends an adult day center, learn about its disaster and evacuation plans. Find out who is responsible for evacuating everyone in the event of an emergency.
- For a person living with dementia, changes in routine, traveling and new environments may increase the risk for wandering and agitation. Stay alert for unexpected reactions that may result from these changes.
- Try to stay together or with a group; it only takes a moment to get lost. Do not leave the person living with dementia alone.
- Do your best to remain calm, as this may help reduce anxiety or confusion.
- In your emergency kit, pack items like copies of legal documents, such as power of attorney, a recent picture of the person with dementia, copies of insurance and Social Security cards, their physician’s information and the phone number for the Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 Helpline (800.272.3900).
To help make the planning process easier, the Florida chapters of the Alzheimer’s Association have partnered with the University of South Florida to create a disaster preparedness guide for dementia caregivers. The guide covers disaster preparedness tips for caregivers, shelter and evacuation information, and strategies for communicating effectively with individuals diagnosed with dementia.
For more information on disaster preparedness for dementia caregivers, local programs and more, visit alz.org or call the Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 Helpline at 800.272.3900.