Helping Your Parent Understand Emergency Warnings and Signals during National Preparedness Month
Home Care in Plainsboro NJ
September is National Preparedness Month. This month is the perfect opportunity for you to review safety considerations with your aging parent and make meaningful changes to your care efforts to ensure that they are properly prepared in the event of a natural disaster, emergency, or other potentially dangerous event. One of the most important skills that you can review with them is how to understand and properly respond to the different emergency warnings and signals that they may encounter prior to such a situation.
Some things that your aging parent should know about emergency warnings and signals include:
- Mobile alerts. Encourage your aging loved one to sign up for wireless emergency alerts. These are special alerts sent by safety officials on the local or state level, the National Weather Service, or even the federal government. They appear on mobile devices with a special tone and vibration pattern designed to draw attention to the alert. Make sure your parent knows not only to check these alerts promptly, but also how to respond to them properly.
- Emergency Alert System. This is the system that sends out emergency warnings through television broadcasts as well as other technology. Ensure that your aging parent is familiar with the sound that this type of emergency alert involves so that they know how to respond when they hear it. Local-level warnings are authorized by local and state-level authorities, while the larger national EAS is only utilized during national emergencies by the authorization of the President.
- NOAA Weather Alerts. During weather-related emergency situations, the weather alerts sent out through radio broadcasting are often the most important. These are available even if your parent is not able to access television broadcasting or does not have a mobile device on which they can receive mobile alerts. These alerts provide up-to-the minute information about weather threats so that your parent knows how to respond, whether it is preparing their homes, evacuating, or getting ready for urgent situations. This makes it essential that your loved one have access to a reliable battery or crank-operated radio they can use to hear these alerts throughout the experience.
If you are concerned about your aging parent’s ability to manage emergencies or disasters, starting home care for them can be an ideal solution. An in-home senior care services provider can help your loved one feel better prepared for an emergency or disaster, and can guide them through the challenges of such situations. This is especially important if your aging parent is coping with cognitive limitations or challenges that could impact their ability to understand or manage disasters or emergency situations. This care provider can help your loved one understand the different warnings and signals that they may see or hear prior to an emergency and know how to respond to them properly. This will give you peace of mind that even if you are not with your parent when there is an impending disaster, they will be safe and secure.
If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring home care in Plainsboro, NJ or the surrounding areas, please call Independence Home Care today at 609-208-1111 for more information.
Source: https://www.ready.gov/alerts