Disaster emergency preparedness could be harder for caregivers, here’s some tips

With flooding and storms across the state these past few weeks, emergency preparedness is top of mind for Minnesotans. But for some, they’re preparing for two. Caregivers for disabled, ill and elderly people don’t just have themselves to think about in an emergency, they also have the person they’re caring for. 

Paurvi Bhatt, a Twin Cities resident and the president of the Rosalynn Carter Institute for caregivers, talked with MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to break down disaster preparedness for caregivers.

Does anyone know what percentage of caregivers actually have some kind of a disaster emergency plan in place?

No, I mean, this is such a new lens to put on what’s happening for all of us at home. Even just acknowledging that you’re a family caregiver is such a new and important step for people. As you know from knowing Mrs. Carter’s work for so long, she has a now very famous quote about the fact that there are four kinds of people.

There are those that were former caregivers, like myself. There are those that are currently caring for a family member. There are those that are planning to take care of someone soon, and those that are planning to make sure that there's care for themselves.

At the end of the day, that means that’s all of us. And yet, sometimes we don’t even realize that that’s what we’re doing. We think it’s just being family, just being someone who cares about someone.

It’s hard to count what’s happening for folks, if we don’t acknowledge we really are part of this group of now more than 53 million, bracing for the things that might happen that Mother Nature brings for us.

Because caregivers have so much to do daily with their person that they’re caring for, how can you think about all the other things that can go wrong?

We have systems in place that help us plan ahead. When that fire drill happens, when that tornado drill happens, it’s a time for us to think ahead, not only for ourselves, but for everyone around us.

We have a guide that we’ve developed together with FEMA that is available on our website that walks through how to stay connected and start the conversation, how to make a plan and make sure you have the things that you need.

With your mom, did you ever think of evacuation plans? Or if she had medications and equipment, would you have ever thought how to get all that into a car and maybe have an exit strategy?

Not at all. We had care prepared if one of us had died, what to do, we had care prepared if she was going through something medically, but this part of the system of care hadn’t been considered yet.

And I think that’s the case for a lot of folks that aren’t recognizing that it is important to think ahead. We know the stress and strain now and here we are adding even more.

It’s also a call to the emergency response teams to recognize and remember that many of us are taking care of others and how to plan ahead, even in their own training and making sure that they’re considering all family caregivers.

Then, fundamentally by planning ahead, we’re also relieving a lot of strain from the 911 system, because we’ve thought it through so that those folks are open and available to help others who may be further along in harm’s way.

So, that partnership that is incredibly important and relieves the strain for everyone is what it takes and ultimately that requires planning.

For more information on emergency preparedness, visit this website.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

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