Preparing Elderly Parents in Poway For an Earthquake

Elderly Parents in Poway EarthquakeElderly parents in Poway are far more vulnerable in emergency situations than healthy, independent adults and young people. This means that in the case of an earthquake or other natural disaster, these treasured family members must be prepared even more thoroughly than others. Aside from the standard things that every California family should do to prepare for a sudden earthquake, here are some ideas to make sure your elderly parents in Poway, Vista, or any other San Diego County town can stay safe until help arrives.

 Handicapped-Accessible Considerations

 A handicapped senior often cannot easily take some of the typical earthquake safety precautions. They probably can’t quickly crawl under a sturdy table, for example. How about making sure that a designated small closet or bathroom has enough room for your elderly loved one’s wheelchair to immediately fit inside? Remove items from tall shelves so that they will not fall down during a quake.

 Critical Medications for Elderly Parents in San Diego County

 If your elderly parents have critical prescription needs, their condition could become very serious just a few hours after an earthquake if they can not get to their medications. Aside from doing all you can to make sure medications are in a safe location, be prepared to inform emergency workers exactly what your loved one’s prescription schedule is. If they know what a senior’s risks are, they can prioritize getting help to him or her before a health emergency occurs.

 Review Your Earthquake Plan Often

 Quick—what’s your family’s immediate plan in the case of an earthquake? If you can’t answer right away, imagine how difficult it must be for an aging parent to remember it. Don’t assume that devising a plan once will be enough to adequately prepare a senior for swift action during a disaster! Review it often, write it out clearly, and occasionally question the individual to test his or her memory. For more information on establishing emergency plans, visit the County of San Diego’s earthquake preparedness page.

Originally posted 2012-04-30 10:30:44.

Tim Colling
Tim Colling

Tim Colling is the founder and President of A Servant's Heart In-Home Care, which provided in-home caregiving services in San Diego County, and also of A Servant's Heart Geriatric Care Management, which provided
professional geriatric care management services and long term care placement services in San Diego County. Tim has more than 30 years of experience in management in a variety of industries. He held a Certified Care Manager credential from the National Academy of Certified Care Managers. Tim is also a Certified Public Accountant (retired), and received his Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from California State University at San Diego. In addition to writing blog posts here for the Servant’s Heart blog, Tim also is a regular contributor to HealthLine.com and to FamilyAffaires.com as well as blogs of other eldercare services provider companies. Finally, Tim is also the president of A Servant's Heart Web Design and Marketing, which provides home care marketing as well as website design and online marketing for those who serve the elderly and their families.

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