The devastating wildfires in Los Angeles this month have dominated the news with terrifying images and heartbreaking loss. Extremely high winds turned sparks into infernos at stunning speed, making evacuation a matter of life and death. The people who are most likely to need in home care in San Diego – the elderly, seniors with lower mobility, patients recovering from surgery or hospital visits – are the same people who would struggle with evacuating quickly. The best protection for those receiving home care in San Diego against the threat of a wildfire is preparation. In home care providers can work with their clients to organize the six P’s of preparation before the emergency begins.
When is Wildfire Season?
In Southern California, fire season traditionally runs from late spring through October, but the Santa Ana winds occur September through May, meaning the risk of wildfire exists year round. Residents may be called on to evacuate from the direct path of a fire and seniors with limited mobility or specific medical needs need to prepare for this challenge. In home caregivers can help loved ones prepare both mentally and physically.
How Can Seniors Stay Safe in a Wildfire?
The California Department of Aging’s official advice is “Before the Fire Approaches Your House: Evacuate. Evacuate your pets and all family members. Anyone with medical or physical limitations and the elderly should be evacuated immediately.” Any delay puts the elderly in home care and their caregivers at risk. The recent fires in LA show that wildfires can move with astonishing speed. So, preparation is the key to safety. Home care providers can assist seniors with this aspect of their safety and care the same way they do for other lifestyle needs.
What are the Six P’s of Evacuation?
CalFire suggests everyone gather what they call The 6 P’s of Evacuation. Home care aides can work with seniors in home care to locate all the elements of these six ‘P’s in advance.
- People & pets
- Home care providers can help identify what’s necessary for the humans and the animals in the household.
- Papers, phone numbers & important documents
- Together, they can identify and locate the important papers, family phone numbers and addresses, and the emergency plan.
- Prescriptions, vitamins & eyeglasses
- In home care can set up a backup pill box, prescriptions and glasses along with printed medication instructions.
- Pictures & irreplaceable memorabilia
- A home care provider can talk through which precious items can realistically be brought along in a crisis, and how to protect or store the others that can’t.
- Personal computer, hard drive or backups
- Companion caregivers can collect portable devices, backup drives and chargers to keep seniors connected.
- “Plastic” (credit cards, ATM cards) & cash
- Home care solutions providers can agree on a place for all the cash and cards on hand to be found in a hurry.
What to Do in a Wildfire Tips
Creating a checklist for collecting these items for a speedy exit from the home prevents delays looking for ‘stuff’. (Look at CalFire’s Go-Bag Checklist here.) Working together before an emergency starts is the best way in-home care can support the safety of their senior patients. For more information, the California Department of Aging offers these Disaster Preparedness Tips for Seniors specifically for What to Do in a Wildfire and other disasters.
Companion caregivers are not qualified or able to help with preparing a home to withstand fire. The strategies such as creating a defensible space, fire-smart landscaping, or hardening the home are not in the scope of in home care. Prepare for wildfire and other natural disasters by consulting the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s website https://readyforwildfire.org.