Older adults, persons with medical conditions, and persons with disabilities may need more planning to be prepared for an emergency. Consider the following suggestions:

• Ask your doctor about storing prescription medications such as heart and high blood pressure medication, insulin, and other prescription drugs.
• Plan how you will contact your family members through calls, emails, or text messages.
• Let people in your support network know of your emergency plans, including the location of your emergency supplies.
• Extra batteries and a spare charger for hearing aids, personal assistive listening device, and other durable medical equipment.
• Keep records of where you got your medical assistive devices and exact types of batteries.
• Many new cell phones and smart phones have an alerting capability that includes specific sounds and vibrations that can be set to signal users of an emergency.
• Write an explanation of your needs in advance. If you need an assistive device or an interpreter, write it down. For example: “I use American Sign Language, I have a hearing loss and I need an interpreter, I need my (name of device).”
• Mark emergency supplies with Braille labels. Keep a list of your emergency supplies on a portable flash drive or make an audio file that is kept in a safe place where you can access it.
• Have an extra mobility cane, if used.
• If possible, stock extra over the counter and prescription medicine, oxygen, insulin, catheters, or other medical supplies you use.
• Make copies of medical prescriptions, doctor’s orders and the style and serial numbers of the support devices you use.

For more information or to watch preparedness videos, visit: Ready.gov/Disability