Planning for Older Americans

Preparing Older Adults for Disasters

As an older adult, you may have specific needs during and after a disaster. The information on this page can help you assess your personal situation and take simple, low-cost steps to better prepare for emergencies.

By the time someone reaches their later years, they’ve likely experienced several significant events or disasters. Older adults often bring valuable experience, resilience, and calm to emergency situations — offering reassurance and practical help to others. However, certain aspects of aging, such as chronic health conditions, mobility limitations, or memory challenges, can also increase vulnerability during a disaster.

Why Older Adults Are More Vulnerable

Older adults are at greater risk during disasters for several reasons:

Physical limitations: Reduced mobility or balance can make evacuation or sheltering difficult.
Sensory impairments: Hearing or vision loss can make it harder to receive or understand emergency information.
Chronic health conditions: Illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, and respiratory conditions may worsen without access to medications, electricity, or medical care.
Social or economic factors: Living alone, limited income, or lack of transportation can make it difficult to prepare or respond quickly.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than half of older adults have at least one functional limitation. For example, individuals who rely on wheelchairs, walkers, or canes may face barriers if elevators or power systems fail. Those who no longer drive may struggle to evacuate safely. Older adults are also more sensitive to extreme heat or cold, especially if utilities are disrupted for extended periods.

Health and Medical Preparedness

Advances in medicine and technology have allowed many older adults to remain independent while managing chronic conditions. However, this independence requires thoughtful planning for emergencies.

Frail adults or those dependent on caregivers need specific plans that include:

Access to essential medications and medical devices.
Backup power sources for life-sustaining equipment.
Coordination with caregivers, family members, and local support services.

Chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and respiratory disorders can worsen during a disaster due to stress, poor air quality, or lack of medication. Interruptions in treatment — like missing insulin, blood thinners, or cancer therapies — can have serious health consequences.

Building Resilience

Preparing ahead can make all the difference in how you respond to and recover from a disaster. By understanding your unique needs, planning for them in advance, and building a strong personal support network, you can stay safer, more confident, and better equipped during any emergency. TheDisaster Preparedness Guide for Older Adultsis designed to help older adults and their caregivers get ready in three simple steps: assess your needs, create a plan, and engage your network. This easy-to-use guide includes clear, user-friendly worksheets and checklists that walk individuals and caregivers through a self-assessment process to identify specific needs, organize critical information, and develop a personalized emergency plan tailored to their situation.

Step 1 – Assess Your Needs
Start by understanding the risks in your area and identifying how those risks could affect you personally. This step guides you through a self-assessment to recognize your medical, mobility, communication, and daily living needs. Knowing your specific requirements will help you create a personalized emergency plan that truly works for you.
Step 2 – Make a Plan
Once you’ve assessed your needs, develop a detailed emergency plan and build a preparedness kit customized to your situation. This section helps you organize critical information, medications, equipment, and contacts—ensuring you’re ready to respond effectively to a wide range of emergencies.
Step 3 – Engage Your Support Network
Emergency preparedness is a team effort. Identify and involve trusted family members, friends, neighbors, and caregivers who can assist you before, during, and after a disaster. This section helps you build and maintain a dependable support network to ensure you’re never facing an emergency alone.

Plan Ahead

Plan how you will communicate if you have a communications need. Make an Emergency Communications Plan.
Plan for food, water, and essentials for you and pets or service animals. Research pet-friendly evacuation centers.
Plan for your transportation if you need help evacuating.
Include items that meet your individual needs, such as medicines, medical supplies, batteries and chargers, in your Emergency Supply Checklist.
Plan how you will have your assistive devices with you during an evacuation.
Make copies of Medicaid, Medicare, and other insurance cards.

In addition to a basic emergency supply kit, older adults should have a personalized emergency plan that outlines where to go, what to bring, how to get there, and who to contact for help. The plan should include essential items such as medications, eyeglasses, hearing aids and batteries, mobility or assistive devices, oxygen, and any necessary supplies for service animals.

Keep a waterproof list of medications, doctors, and pharmacies, along with photocopies of prescriptions to ensure easy refills if displaced. It’s also wise to store a backup copy of this information—including emergency contacts and medical device details—at a trusted friend or family member’s home.

Make a Plan

Determine any special assistance you may need and include plans for that assistance in your emergency plan. For more detailed information, visit our page on Individuals with Disabilities.

Create a support network of family, friends and others who can assist you during an emergency. Make an Emergency Communications Plan and practice it with them.
Make sure at least one person in your support network has an extra key to your home, knows where you keep your emergency supplies, and knows how to use lifesaving equipment or administer medicine.
If you undergo routine treatments administered by a clinic or hospital, find out their emergency plans and work with them to identify back-up service providers.
Don’t forget your pets or service animals. Not all shelters accept pets, so plan for alternatives. Consider asking loved ones or friends outside of your immediate area if they can help with your animals.

Get Your Benefits Electronically

A disaster can disrupt mail service for days or weeks. If you depend on Social Security or other regular benefits, switching to electronic payments is a simple, important way to protect yourself financially before disaster strikes. It also eliminates the risk of stolen checks. The U.S. Department of the Treasury recommends two safer ways to get federal benefits:

Direct deposit to a checking or savings account. If you get federal benefits you can sign up by calling 800-333-1795 or sign up online.
The Direct Express® prepaid debit card is designed as a safe and easy alternative to paper.