How Should I Care For A Loved One With Dementia/Special Needs During a Hurricane?
September 22, 2005
1) Keep calm. Your loved one will take cues from you and sense if you are panicked.
2) Ask your physician to prescribe medications to be kept on hand for emergency situations. These would be medications to decrease anxiety and promote sleep.
3) Monitor your loved one’s level of anxiety and agitation. CONTINUE TO REASSURE. Realize that they may not understand what is going on. You may need to administer the emergency medication if you notice that anxiety or agitation is increasing.
4) If you or your loved one has special medical needs (i.e. oxygen, insulin, or I.V. therapy) pre-register with the special needs shelter [if your area has one].
5) If your loved one suffers from dementia, make sure that you and your loved one have a Safe Return or other identification bracelet on. (Call Alzheimer’s Community Care at (561) 683-2700 if you live in Southeast Florida) [or your local Alzheimer’s Association chapter]
6) Let family and friends know if you are leaving your home and where you are going to be during the storm.
7) Have activities to occupy and distract your loved one (photo books/albums, music with headphones). If you go to a shelter, bring a few “comforts of home” i.e. pillow, quilt, to provide familiarity. Bring favorite foods and snacks to use as distractions.
8) If you go to a shelter, observe safety precautions such as limiting access to exits from the building or access to sharp objects.
9) Be aware of people interacting with your loved one as your loved one may be easily agitated by “strangers” and the unfamiliar environment. Choose a quiet corner.
10) Pack incontinent supplies and disposable cleaning cloths if necessary.
11) If you stay home, try to enlist people to help prepare for the storm and stay with you.
12) Keep rooms well lit; shadows and darkness add to confusion. Lantern style flashlights are preferable to spotlights, which will create more shadows.
13) Minimize outside noise by closing curtains and doors to rooms with windows that face outdoors as the sounds of wind, rain and flying debris can be particularly terrifying and confusing.
This project was supported, in part, by a grant, number 90AZ2791, from the Administration on Aging,
Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201.
Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are
encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of
view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official Administration on Aging policy.
