The thought of facing an emergency such as a severe weather event can be intimidating and even frightening for anyone, but as a family caregiver it can pose even greater challenges. In this role, you are not only thinking about yourself, your partner, and your children. You must also consider the needs of your elderly parent. Especially during an emergency, keeping them safe and healthy needs to be a priority. It is very important to start thinking about how you will care for your senior during an emergency well before such an event is imminent. Waiting too long could leave you without options and resources, and lead to more dangerous situations.

Some things to keep in mind when preparing it to care for your senior during an emergency include:

• Communication. Being able to communicate effectively with your elderly parent, as well as other members of the care team, will help to ensure everyone is up-to-date on plans and preparations, and can take proper steps to stay safe during the emergency. Create a care team communication plan that includes who will reach out to who, a timeline for making contact, and multiple lines of communication as necessary. Make sure your parent has access to a mobile device, as well as a source of communication with authorities, such as a radio.
• Medical needs. If your aging parent requires ongoing treatment or support due to health issues, it is very important to keep these in mind when preparing for an emergency or event. You must remember that during a severe weather situation, they may not have access to electricity, refrigeration, and other resources necessary to manage their health treatments and care. Talk to their doctor about how your parent will maintain these treatments, and how it to ensure they will get the support they need. This may require evacuation or admission to a treatment facility prior to the event.
• Additional care. If you live at a distance from your senior, you may worry about not being able to prepare your parent for an emergency, or to care for them effectively in the event of severe weather. Having access to senior care much less stressful. A senior home care services provider can be with your parent leading up to the weather event to ensure they feel safe and prepared, and manage their care needs for them. This can include providing transportation to the grocery store to help ensure they have the food they need, and making sure they know how to use supplies such as a radio to keep track of information about the event.

No matter how dedicated you are to being a family caregiver for your elderly parent, or how much you want to devote your time and energy to giving your parent their highest quality of life, for most people, it is difficult or even impossible to handle everything on your own. Taking on all of the responsibilities of caring for an elderly adult, particularly if you are in the sandwich generation and caring for your children, managing a career, taking care of a home, maintaining a marriage, and other obligations, can be challenging and overwhelming. The services of a senior care provider can help. Relying on an in-home senior care services provider to assist with your senior’s care relieves your stress, makes your schedule more flexible, and allows you to focus your time and energy in the most efficient ways throughout your care journey.

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If you are considering senior care in Blue Ridge, VA for an aging loved one, please talk to the caring staff at Acti-Kare of Blue Ridge. Call 888-451-5273. Our office provides senior care and home care services in the following locations including Blue Ridge, Lynchburg, Salem, Roanoke, Smith Mountain Lake, and Bedford in Virginia.