As we prepare to enter the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season (June 1- November 30, 2022), it’s very important that you are up to date regarding your local guidelines, and that you are prepared. If you or someone you love lives in a long-term care facility, it’s essential that you are familiar with the facility’s guidelines for emergencies.
Draft a plan in case a hurricane comes your way that considers your family, pets, and loved ones living in long-term care facilities.
Be prepared.
Review the following suggestions. Make sure you have all the information and supplies handy.
- Know the evacuation plan of the city where you live, the warning signs, the evacuation route, and the emergency shelters.
- Identify the potential hazards that may develop at home and ensure they are protected before the hurricane arrives. Disconnect the electrical power before leaving the house, especially if there is water nearby or power lines drop. Disconnect gas and water. Verify that you have done everything necessary to protect the home from damage and losses.
- Buy a fire extinguisher and check that the family knows where it is and how it is used.
- Know where the most important documents are, such as insurance policies, testaments, licenses, shares of the stock exchange, to name a few.
- Keep a list of emergency numbers near each telephone.
- Inform the local authorities of the needs of the elderly, such as people confined to bed, or any other disabled person.
- If you have an elderly living in a long-term care facility, call them. Make sure you understand their policies and procedures, provide all the information (forms) required, review the contact information on file and make sure its accurate.
Get ready!
You must buy the items you need for the duration of the emergency. Have emergency equipment ready in your car, at home, and in the office. Some of the suggested items are:
- First-aid kit or kit and instructions
- Fire extinguisher
- Radio batteries
- Flashlights
- Spare batteries
- Sleeping bags or extra blankets
- Supplies so that drinking water can be drunk (such as iodine or chlorine tablets)
- Personal hygiene products
– Hand sanitizer
– Wet wipes in case of not having clean water
– Soap
– Toothpaste
– Tampons and feminine towels
– Diapers
If you are faced with a hurricane warning, consider:
- Fill your car’s gas tank.
- Ask friends or relatives to have transportation if your car is not available.
- Store water in clean containers.
- Review your plan and the emergency supply, make sure nothing is needed.
- Turn on the TV or radio to keep up with the latest weather reports.
- Listen for sirens or emergency warnings.
- Prepare an emergency supply for your car with food, flares, cables to charge the battery, maps, tools, first aid equipment, fire extinguisher, sleeping bags, etc.
- Secure items that you have outside the home such as bicycles, grills, gas tanks, etc.
- Cover doors and windows with wood or install protective blinds against the hurricane wind.
- Place the animals in a safe place. Most refuge centers do not accept pets.
- Park vehicles indoors.
- Store water in bathtubs and sinks.
- Fill ice coolers with ice or store it in the laundry machine. It has insulating material and drainage.
- Set the refrigerator and freezer thermostat to the coldest temperature.
If an evacuation is ordered
Do not ignore an order to evacuate because the power of destruction of a hurricane is very strong. If you live in a coastal area, you must evacuate, and the authorities will force you to do so if you are in the direction where the hurricane is going to enter. If you must evacuate, remember:
- Take only what is necessary.
- If you have time, turn off gas, water, and electricity.
- Unplug household appliances to prevent them from burning when the power is restored.
- Keep medicines available and take them with you.
- Bring emergency equipment, do not know how long you will be out.
- Have an emergency supply ready for your car.
- Follow the evacuation route indicated, others may be blocked, expect to find congested traffic.
- Let your relatives know where you are going, and how you can call it.
- It is best to look for places that accept pets, if you have one, in places far from the evacuation area. Some hotels and motels that accept pets, and there may be a shelter that allows you to arrive with pets.
If you do not have to evacuate To pass the storm most safely, follow these tips:
- Stay informed of the weather through television or radio. If you can get a NOAA radio.
- Stay home until the authorities announce that it is safe to leave.
- Do not leave, even if it seems that time is calm. The calm of the eye of the hurricane can last a short time, and you can find yourself outside when the hurricane winds return.
- Stay away from outside windows or doors; look for shelter in the bathroom or in the basement. The bathtubs can serve as a refuge if one protects by covering himself with wood or other materials.
- Be ready to go to a shelter or to a friend’s house, if your home is damaged, or if emergency personnel give you the order to do so.
Residential Plaza reviewed and updated the emergency plans, including the Hurricane Preparedness Plan. Visit Residential Plaza’s webpage (www.residentialplaza.com) and make sure you stay up to date with all pertinent information.
During an emergency Residential Plaza team up with families in providing options for the safety of their residents. There is one key consideration:
- Are families taking their loved one home?
If your home is safe, Residential Plaza encourages families to assist in providing residents with a safe environment in their home. An emergency can bring uncertainty and stress to the elderly. Being surrounded by loved ones may give them the assurance needed to thrive.
- Is your loved one staying at Residential Plaza?
Note that an evacuation is a possibility. Residential Plaza has a comprehensive emergency evacuation plan that includes transportation and relocation of our residents to assigned hotels and other long-term care facilities. An emergency evacuation can be challenging. If we are ordered to evacuate, every resident must have a three-day emergency bag ready.
Residential Plaza appreciates the effort families make to be proactive and supportive to their loved ones in an emergency.