5 Tips to prepare for Parkinson's 'home-based' disaster preparedness: Hurricanes, floods, fires and more

It is common to ‘be surprised’ when a hurricane, flood, fire or other disaster occurs. I (MSO) have learned over the years that ‘surprised’ is ok; ‘prepared’ is better. As I sit today in the hospital taking care of folks while a Florida hurricane rages outside. I would like to offer a few ‘proactive’ tips for disaster preparedness if you have Parkinson’s and may be ‘stuck’ in your home. I believe that with a little planning, we can set you up for success. Here are 5 tips to help you with a proctive approach to home-based Parkinson disasters.:

1- Medications: Obtain refills on your medications early. Pharmacies may close and the supply chain may get clogged. Another strategy is to stock up on extra medications or get an emergency prescription for your medications as soon as you become aware of a potential disaster (hurricane, pandemic, etc.). Unfortunately it is not always possible to ‘predict’ these events so I recommend having a week or two supply of your medicines always in hand.

2- Communication Plan: Think through and implement a communication plan now, so that you will be ready when a disaster strikes. Arrange an ‘understanding’ with several family members, friends and/or neighbors to ‘check in’ on you; and as part of your communication plan to pass on messages to others in case you lose phone and or/internet service. If you are isolated and depend on transportation, a communication plan can improve your chances of quickly resolving issues.

3- Companion Plan: The optimal plan is to have another human with you during any disaster. We realize this is not always possible. This ‘companion’ can help with medications, supplies, communications and possibly assist you with mobility issues. If you live alone, any plan to quickly mobilize a companion to your side just before or just after a disaster is a good one.

4- Hospital Plan: During a disaster if you have an emergency, dialing 911 may be your only option. Telephone lines and electricity may be ‘down’ and you may find yourself stuck. The roads may be too dangerous to ‘drive on’ and in that case your will need a survival plan. The most important thing is to ‘be prepared.’ Panic will only make the situation work. You need to tell yourself, I planned for this possibility and I can make it until help arrives. Activate your communication plan early and if you are alone, as a first step, try to get someone over to help you (companion). Stabilize the situation the best you can and when safe, seek transport to the hospital.

In your plan think through your medical conditions. Can you predict which ones may possibly become an issue? Think about medical problems you have encountered before and think about how you would deal with them if alone. For example having antibiotics ready for a urinary infection; having seizure medicationsready if you have epilepsy.

Consider obtaining a free Parkinson’s Foundation hospitalization kit. You can have your medication list ready and you should already have a document ready with your medical history and medications summarized. Once health care professionals reach you, you will be ready to with the information they will need to make quick decisions.

5- Keep a Stock of Supplies: Finally, make sure you always have supplies in the house; consider you may be stuck for 1-2 weeks. Bottled water is a key! Make sure you have food available that does not require refrigeration.

In summary, it is ok to be surprised by a disaster however if you are ‘prepared,’ with a proactive approach— which considers a medication plan, a communication plan, a companion plan, a hospital plan and of course a stock of food and water— you will give yourself the best possible chance to successfully navigate your home based disaster. Remind yourself to stay calm, ‘follow your home-based disaster plan,’ and enjoy the satisfaction of knowing you were proactive and ‘prepared.’

Dr. Indu Subramanian and Dr. Michael Okun blog are parkinsonsecrets.com content authors.

Dr. Jonny Acheson is the blog artist and also an advocate for Parkinson’s in the UK.