Human nature, it seems, is that when you “should” do something, you don’t, you put it off. For example, I “should” test the batteries in my smoke detectors. But I can guarantee that I won’t until the alarm starts chirping at 2 o’clock in the morning and I have to pull out the ladder to disable it. Only then, before I put the ladder away, will I begrudgingly do what I should have done long ago.
Home safety and emergency preparedness seem to fall into the “should” category. Living in the Pacific NW I know that “The Great earthquake” is looming and at one time, I even purchased kits of supplies that I have since relegated to the back corner of the storage closet underneath holiday decorations and my kids’ artwork that I don’t yet have the heart to let go of.
This topic is top of mind right now as I think about my colleague in Florida who recently had to evacuate from a potential storm surge, and I shared my own lived experience being flooded. Just a few years ago, regional forest fires were at my city’s doorstep. At the time, I told myself I “should” not only get my household ready "in the event," but also help my mother, who lives 90 minutes away, prepare.
Fortunately, the community in which my mother resides was very proactive, going beyond encouraging her and the other seniors to keep a preparedness kit under their beds and hold one another accountable. Originally, I scoffed at the idea of something under her bed as being excessive…but I warmed to it. The likelihood she would need to grab recommended supplies during the night is probably higher than a similar need in the middle of the day.
Older and disabled adults are just like you and me in knowing they “should” be prepared yet aren’t. Sometimes, it’s even more challenging with our elders who have “lived this long” without needing to be prepared. They have “lived through disasters, just fine, thank you,” or just aren’t ready to admit that at their age, they physically can’t retrieve a chainsaw from the shed, where it’s sitting under a 50-pound bag of now-soaked potting soil, while the wind is howling at 35 mph.
I promise, the peace of mind you will feel pulling these items together for them is worth the “oh honey, you don’t have to” or “what do you think, I’m too old to take care of myself?” pushback. And if you do face resistance, reverse-engineer the conversations to ask if they have any extra of the items on this list or if could they help you get ready. Then offer "Oh, by the way, what about we get you what you’d need, too?"
Another upside of leveraging a bit of the motivation to get ready for these events is that it provides a softer way to accumulate vital documents needed for future or advance-stage caregiving. For example, here is a list of all the documents FEMA recommends. While it might seem overwhelming, with the right secure digital storage product, collecting this information is often as easy as helping the person you are concerned for locate it and take a photo.
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Personal Identification
Pets
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Household Information
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Medical Information
Miscellaneous
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As you are collaborating to assemble these documents, it’s also a good time to create a list of the professional service providers and important contacts whose information will be useful.
An opportunity closest to my heart is documenting the “if you had one hour to gather your most precious belongings, what would they be (and why?)” question. I love this question because it takes me back to my childhood and Dick Van Dyke teaching me to “stop, drop and roll.” Fire safety inevitably led to me create a plan for my most precious belongings, which at the time were my pillow (and green Holly Hobby pillowcase), the teddy bear my dad gave me, and the music box from my mom that plays “You Light Up My Life”.
We all have items that are most dear to us — they make the best conversation starters and become significant family treasures, particularly when the meaning behind the item is captured on audio or video. For the reticent grandparent, parent, elder, or fellow adult who needs more convincing that they “should'' move beyond “should-ing” and focus on creating an emergency plan, a reminiscent approach might be comforting. I guarantee the conversation will evolve into collecting important documents, identifying who they would turn to for help during challenging times, and the creation of an emergency preparedness kit (perhaps to be stored under their bed).