Emergency Preparedness for Older Adults and Care Partners

An emergency plan should support independence without assuming that one person can manage every task alone. Start with the older adult’s ordinary routines, preferences, care team, equipment, home layout, and trusted support network.

Ready.gov guidance for older adults recommends creating a support network, planning for medicines and assistive technology, and keeping important records accessible. This page adapts that baseline within the Home Resilience Guide and Urban Preparedness hub.

Make a one-page care summary

Keep a current paper copy in the home kit and a portable copy with the person. Include only information responders and care partners may need:

• name, date of birth, address, and emergency contacts;
• conditions, allergies, medication names, doses, and schedule;
• pharmacy, clinician, equipment supplier, and insurance contacts;
• communication, hearing, vision, memory, language, or mobility needs;
• device model numbers, power requirements, and backup instructions;
• service animal or pet information;
• health care proxy or other documents when applicable.

Protect private information and share it only with trusted people who need it.

Medication and refrigeration

Do not choose a generic “two-week supply” or change medication storage based on a checklist. Ask the pharmacist, prescriber, and insurer what emergency refill options apply and how each medicine should be stored.

• Keep an updated medication list and pharmacy number.
• Use original labeled containers unless a clinician or pharmacist recommends another system.
• Know which medicines are temperature sensitive and how long the manufacturer permits them outside their normal range.
• Do not place medicine directly on ice unless the instructions permit it.
• After a flood, fire, or temperature excursion, ask a pharmacist before use when safety is uncertain.

The FDA guidance on medicines affected by disasters provides current federal information, but the person’s pharmacist remains the best source for a specific product.

Powered medical equipment

Record the watts, battery type, charging time, backup duration, alarms, and safe shutdown procedure from the exact device manual. Ask the equipment provider and care team:

• what happens when power fails;
• which battery or inverter is approved;
• whether oxygen, ventilation, refrigeration, or connectivity is required;
• how to obtain emergency supplies or replacement equipment;
• when to leave or call emergency services.

The HHS emPOWER map can help emergency planners understand electricity-dependent populations, but it does not register an individual for rescue. Contact the local utility and emergency management office to learn what programs exist and what they do. Priority notification or restoration is not a guarantee of continuous power.

Use the Outage Readiness Planner and Solar Power Calculator to organize questions, then verify every result with the device provider. Never use a fuel generator indoors or near openings.

Mobility, hearing, vision, and memory

• Keep mobility aids, glasses, hearing aids, batteries, chargers, and repair contacts together.
• Make sure exits remain wide enough and free of cords or stored water.
• Practice the route in ordinary conditions with the equipment normally used.
• Keep alerts in more than one format where possible: sound, text, visual, and a trusted person’s check-in.
• Use plain written steps and labels for tasks that become harder under stress.
• Plan how stairs, elevators, electronic doors, and transportation change during a power failure.

Apartment residents should review the Apartment Emergency Preparedness Guide with building management.

Heat, cold, and smoke

Older adults may need earlier action when indoor temperatures or air quality worsen. Choose cooling or warming locations, transportation, medication, and accessibility before the event.

Follow CDC heat guidance, local air-quality alerts, and evacuation instructions. For wildfire smoke, use EPA wildfire indoor-air guidance. For cold outages, read Indoor Heating Safety.

Never use an oven, grill, camp stove, or generator to heat a room. Confusion or unusual sleepiness can be a sign of heat illness, cold stress, carbon monoxide exposure, medication problems, or another emergency. Call for professional help rather than assuming it is normal aging.

Build a support network with consent

Choose at least two trusted contacts when possible. Agree on:

• when and how to check in;
• who has a key and permission to enter;
• who can transport the person and equipment;
• who contacts the care team or equipment provider;
• what information may be shared;
• a backup if the first person is unavailable.

The Emergency Communication Plan provides a short message and paper-contact structure.

Make the portable layer manageable

Pack medication and instructions, identification, contacts, light, phone power, water, a small amount of familiar food, weather-appropriate clothing, hygiene supplies, and essential equipment. The person or helper expected to carry it should be able to do so safely.

Use the Water Storage Calculator for a household estimate, then adjust with the care team when health conditions change fluid needs.

Decide when to leave

Leave early when official instructions, health needs, equipment failure, unsafe temperature, smoke, flooding, fire, or transportation limits make delay risky. A person who needs an accessible vehicle, caregiver, oxygen, or powered equipment may need more lead time.

Call the emergency number for the area when immediate danger or severe symptoms are present. Continue with Build a Home Emergency Kit and Long Power Outage Planning.