Prepare For 

Emergencies Now: 

Information For 

Older Americans.

www.ready.gov

This information was developed by the Federal Emergency 

Management Agency in consultation with AARP, the American 

Red Cross and the National Organization on Disability.

FEMA R-5 

1

 Get a Kit Of Emergency Supplies 

 The first step is to consider how an 

emergency might affect your individual needs. 

Plan to make it on your own, for at least three 

days. It’s possible that you will not have access 

to a medical facility or even a drugstore. It is 

crucial that you and your family think about what 

kinds of resources you use on a daily basis and 

what you might do if those resources are limited 

or not available.

Basic Supplies: Think first about the basics 

for survival – food, water, clean air and any lifesustaining items you require. Consider two kits. In 

one kit put everything you will need to stay where 

you are and make it on your own for a period of 

time. The other kit should be a lightweight, smaller 

version you can take with you if you have to leave 

your home. Recommended basic emergency 

supplies include: 

w Water, one gallon of water per person per day 

for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation 

w Food, at least a three-day supply of nonperishable food and a can opener if kit contains 

canned food

w Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a 

NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra 

batteries for both 

w Flashlight and extra batteries

w First aid kit

w Whistle to signal for help

w Dust mask to help filter contaminated air and 

plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place

w Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties 

for personal sanitation

w Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities

w Local maps

w Pet food, extra water and supplies for your pet 

or service animal

Preparing Makes Sense for 

Older Americans. Get Ready Now.

The likelihood that you and your family will 

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recover from an emergency tomorrow oft

depends on the planning and preparation do

today. While each person’s abilities and nee

are unique, every individual can take steps 

prepare for all kinds of emergencies from fir

and floods to potential terrorist attacks. 

evaluating your own personal needs and maki

an emergency plan that fits those needs, y

and your loved ones can be better prepare

This guide outlines commonsense measur

older Americans can take to start preparing 

emergencies before they happen. 

Preparing makes sense for older Americans. 

Get Ready Now. 

3

 Be Informed

 Some Of The Things You Can Do

 to prepare for the unexpected, such 

 as assembling an emergency supply 

kit and making an emergency plan are the same 

regardless of the type of emergency. However, 

it’s important to stay informed about what might 

happen and know what types of emergencies are 

likely to affect your region. For more information 

about specific types of emergencies, visit 

www.ready.gov or call 1-800-BE-READY.

Be prepared to adapt this information to your 

personal circumstances and make every effort to 

follow instructions received from authorities on the 

scene. Above all, stay calm, be patient and think 

before you act. With these simple preparations, 

you can be ready for the unexpected. 

Prepare For Emergencies Now. 

Information For Older Americans.

www.ready.gov
Include Medications and Medical Supplies:

If you take medicine or use a medical treatment on 

a daily basis, be sure you have what you need on 

hand to make it on your own for at least a week. 

You should also keep a copy of your prescriptions 

as well as dosage or treatment information. If it is 

not possible to have a week-long supply of 

medicines and supplies, keep as much as possible 

on hand and talk to your pharmacist or doctor 

about what else you should do to prepare. 

If you undergo routine treatments administered by 

a clinic or hospital or if you receive regular services 

such as home health care, treatment or 

transportation, talk to your service provider about 

their emergency plans. Work with them to identify 

back-up service providers within your area and the 

areas you might evacuate to. If you use medical 

equipment in your home that requires electricity to 

operate, talk to your health care provider about 

what you can do to prepare for its use during a 

power outage. 

Additional Items: In addition, there may be 

other things specific to your personal needs that 

you should also have on hand. If you use 

eyeglasses, hearing aids and hearing aid 

batteries, wheelchair batteries, and oxygen, be sure 

you always have extras in your home. Also have 

copies of your medical insurance, Medicare and 

Medicaid cards readily available.

Include Emergency Documents: Include 

copies of important documents in your emergency 

supply kits such as family records, wills, power of 

attorney documents, deeds, social security numbers, 

credit card and bank information, and tax records. It is 

best to keep these documents in a waterproof 

container. Include the names and numbers of 

everyone in your personal support network, as well as 

your medical providers. Also be sure you have cash 

or travelers checks in your kits in case you need to 

purchase supplies.

2

 Make a Plan 

 For What You Will Do in an Emergency

 The reality of a disaster situation 

is that you will likely not have access to everyday 

conveniences. To plan in advance, think through the 

details of your everyday life. If there are people who 

assist you on a daily basis, list who they are, and how 

you will contact them in an emergency. Create your 

own personal support network by identifying others 

who will help you in an emergency. Think about what 

modes of transportation you use and what alternative 

modes could serve as back-ups. If you require 

handicap accessible transportation be sure your 

alternatives are also accessible. For every aspect of 

your daily routine, plan an alternative procedure. Make 

a plan and write it down. Keep a copy of your plan in 

your emergency supply kits and a list of important 

information and contacts in your wallet. Share your 

plan with your family, friends, care providers and 

others in your personal support network.

Create a Personal Support Network: If you 

anticipate needing assistance during a disaster, make 

a list of family, friends and others who will be part of 

your plan. Talk to these people and ask them to be 

part of your support network. Share each aspect of 

your emergency plan with everyone in your group, 

including a friend or relative in another area who 

would not be impacted by the same emergency who 

can help if necessary. Make sure everyone knows 

how you plan to evacuate your home or workplace 

and where you will go in case of a disaster. Make 

sure that someone in your personal support network 

has an extra key to your home and knows where you 

keep your emergency supplies. Practice your plan 

with those who have agreed to be part of your 

personal support network. 

Develop a Family Communications Plan: 

Your family may not be together when disaster 

strikes, so plan how you will contact one another 

and review what you will do in different situations. 

Consider a plan where each family member calls, or 

e-mails, the same friend or relative in the event of an 

emergency. It may be easier to make a long-distance 

phone call than to call across town, so an 

out-of-town contact, not in the impacted area, may 

be in a better position to communicate among

separated family members. You may have trouble 

getting through, or the phone system may be down 

altogether, but be patient. For more information on 

how to develop a family communications plan visit 

www.ready.gov.

Deciding to Stay or Go: Depending on your 

circumstances and the nature of the emergency, the 

first important decision is whether you stay or go. You 

should understand and plan for both possibilities. Use 

commonsense and available information to determine 

if there is immediate danger. In any emergency, local 

authorities may or may not immediately be able to 

provide information on what is happening and what 

you should do. However, you should monitor 

television or radio news reports for information or 

official instructions as they become available. If you’re 

specifically told to evacuate or seek medical 

treatment, do so immediately. If you require additional 

travel time or need transportation assistance, make 

these arrangements in advance.

Consider Your Pets: Whether you decide to stay 

put in an emergency or evacuate to a safer location, 

you will need to make plans in advance for your pets 

and service animals. Keep in mind that what’s best 

for you is typically what’s best for your animals. If you 

must evacuate, take your pets with you, if possible. 

However, if you are going to a public shelter, it is 

important to understand that only service animals 

may be allowed inside. Plan in advance for shelter 

alternatives that will work for both you and your pets; 

consider loved ones or friends outside of your 

immediate area, pet-friendly shelters and 

veterinarians who would be willing to take in you 

and your pets in an emergency. For more information 

about pet preparedness, visit www.ready.gov. 

Staying Put: Whether you are at home or 

elsewhere, there may be situations when it’s simply 

best to stay where you are and avoid any uncertainty 

outside. Consider what you can do to safely 

shelter-in-place alone or with friends, family or 

neighbors. Also consider how a shelter designated 

for the public would meet your needs. 

There could be times when you will need to stay put 

and create a barrier between yourself and potentially 

contaminated air outside. This process is known as

“sealing the room.” Use available information to 

assess the situation. If you see large amounts of 

debris in the air, or if local authorities say the air is 

badly contaminated, you may want to take this kind 

of action. For more information about “sealing the 

room,” visit www.ready.gov. 

Evacuation: There may be conditions in which 

you will decide to get away, or there may be 

situations when you may be ordered to leave. Plan 

how you will get away and anticipate where you 

will go. Choose several destinations in different 

directions so you have options in an emergency. 

Ask about evacuation plans at the places where 

you spend time including work, community 

organizations and other places you frequent. If you 

typically rely on elevators, have a back-up plan in 

case they are not working. 

Fire Safety: Plan two ways out of every room in 

case of fire. Check for items such as bookcases, 

hanging pictures, or overhead lights that could 

fall and block an escape path. Check hallways, 

stairwells, doorways, windows and other areas for 

hazards that may keep you from safely leaving a 

building during an emergency. Secure or remove 

furniture and objects that may block your path. If 

there are aspects of preparing your home or 

workplace that you are not able to do yourself, 

enlist the help of your personal support network. 

Contact Your Local Emergency 

Information Management Office: Some 

local emergency management offices maintain 

registers of older people so they can be located 

and assisted quickly in a disaster. Contact your 

local emergency management agency to see if 

these services exist where you live or visit 

www.ready.gov to find links to government offices 

in your area.