As the New Year has rolled around, people begin to look forward to what the year will bring and how they can best be prepared for what is to come. Many hope to continue to have good health, be surrounded by friends and family and to have a good, quality life. In preparing for the upcoming year, one of the most important and loving things you can do for yourself or an aging loved one is to create and implement an emergency preparedness plan.

Having an emergency preparedness plan will lend peace of mind and bring organization to what can be a chaotic situation. Remember that older adults can be disproportionately affected by crisis. Physical impairments, medical and dietary needs, lack of transportation and isolation can make it harder to be safe, and to recover from a hazardous situation. Advanced preparation makes it far more likely that you will be able to take appropriate action before, during, and after an emergency.

What can you do to prepare now? There are several things you can do ahead of time to get ready to respond to the kinds of events that a natural disaster (e.g., winter storms, flooding, power outages) or medical emergency (e.g., falls, heart failure, pneumonia) might trigger. Here are a few suggestions:

Organize Important Documents. Encourage your loved one to organize important documents and medical information. Offer your help. It’s critical that this be done while your loved one is medically and mentally capable