With September being the 20th annual National Preparedness Month, FEMA has been looking to expand their offerings, including the official release of their new Disaster Preparedness Guide for Older Adults. Intended to support both older adults and those who may be providing care to them, the guide focuses on preparedness tips by breaking down the steps into three categories:
- Assessing needs
- Creating a plan
- Engaging support networks
Says FEMA External Affairs Director Justin Angel Knighten, “Our partners gave us the insight needed to create a preparedness product that will work for older adults and their caregivers. The Disaster Preparedness Guide for Older Adults is a people-centered product that will help us close the disaster preparedness gap and better meet people where they are, specifically older adults from low-income and rural communities, or those living with disabilities and others with access and functional needs.”
The guide also includes inputs from meetings earlier this year with various community-based organizations, taking in recommendations about the challenges faced by older adults in disaster preparation, as well as considerations about their levels of strength and resilience. These inputs were also used to help shape the guide, in providing tools and messaging that’s better aligned with the targeted audience of older adults and any supporting caretakers.
Source:
https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20230920/fema-introduces-disaster-preparedness-guide-older-adults
