Guidance for senior citizens and disabled persons in preparing for an emergency.
Set up a personal support network:
Designate someone to check on you in an emergency and to help with evacuation.
Prepare and carry with you an emergency health information card:
This will help you to communicate if you are found unconscious or incoherent. Include information about your medications, adaptive equipment, blood type, allergies and sensitivities, insurance numbers, immunisation dates, communication difficulties and preferred treatment, as well as contact information for your health providers, personal support network and emergency contacts.
Home care assistance:
If you receive assistance from a home healthcare agency or in-home support provider, find out how the provider will respond in an emergency.
Designate backup or alternative providers that you can contact in an emergency.
For persons using a wheelchair:
Plan for how you will evacuate in an emergency and discuss it with your care providers. If you use a motorised wheelchair, have a manual wheelchair as a backup.
For persons who are blind or visually impaired:
Keep an extra cane by your bed. Attach a whistle, in case you need to attract attention.
Exercise caution when moving, paths may have become obstructed.
For persons who are hearing impaired:
Keep extra batteries for your hearing aids with emergency supplies. Consider storing your hearing aids in a container attached to your bedpost or cabinet, so you can locate them quickly after a emergency.
For persons with communication disabilities:
Store paper, writing materials, copies of a word or letter board and preprinted key phrases in your emergency kit, your wallet, purse, etc.
The preparing for emergencies booklet.pdf (1309Kb) is a short useful guide to help you protect you and your family.
The booklet is available in a number of languages.
Links to guidance relating to specific emergency situations is available.