Organize an Emergency Pack

September 2009 is the sixth annual National Preparedness Month (NPM) sponsored by the Ready Campaign. It is a nationwide effort to increase awareness and encourage individuals, businesses and communities to take action and prepare for emergencies of all kinds. The campaign encourages folks to get a kit, make a plan and stay informed.

National agencies like the Red Cross and the Center for Disease Control, big companies like Wal-Mart and Target, and small businesses like Key Transitions join a coalition to promote national readiness in case of emergency. As coalition members we commit to establish preparedness in our own companies and to reach out to the community. Information about the coalition and detailed information about what you need to do in case of emergency can be found at www.ready.gov.

Last year our company worked with small businesses to get ready for emergencies. This year, we are working with senior adults in independent living situations. One of the concerns of this population is how to put together a “to go” emergency pack that meets their needs and is light enough for them to manage.

Here are a few things for everyone, especially older adults, to consider as they stock their “to go” emergency pack.

Choose a container for your kit that is lightweight and that you can manage. One of our favorites is a fabric insulated cooler on wheels with external pockets that we picked up in the sports section of Wal-Mart. It has a telescopic handle and rolls easily. Another alternative is to buy the ready-made backpack kit from www.redcross.org. It costs about $75 with shipping and weighs about 12 pounds.

Carry adequate water. Try creating water packs by putting water in a one-gallon bag and double sealing by putting it upside down in another plastic bag. Supplement the packs with individual serving bottles of water. Juice and other liquids also aid hydration.

Choose foods that are individually packed and are in lightweight containers. Peanut butter in individual plastic containers and tuna in foil pouches rather than cans are some examples. Remember to pay attention to dietary restrictions when selecting foods and choose products with extended expiration dates.

Pack tools to assist you in opening the containers you pack. If you cannot grip and operate a manual can opener consider packing a one-step battery operated model. Don’t forget to pack extra batteries. If necessary, include scissors for opening zip lock bags that won’t cooperate and include a marker to date the items when you open them.

Keep a list of important contacts in the pack. Include family and friends you want to notify as well as important providers like oxygen companies or transportation vendors.

Keep important documents ready to go. A list of important documents to consider can be found at www.ready.gov. If you scan documents to disc for easy transportation, remember to label it in ways that obscure its true content.

Remember your medications and dosing tools like syringes, medicine droppers and applicators. Also include things you need to keep your necessary medical supplies functioning-like batteries for hearing aids and repair kits for dentures and glasses.

The Red Cross (www.redcross.org) and other coalition sites have lists for emergency pack contents, outlines for communication plans and suggestions for staying informed. Have a look and make it a priority to “Get Ready Now”.

Beverly and Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Organizing for Senior Independence

The First Families are following a growing national trend. Both President Obama and Vice President Biden will be living with a parent in their homes. The aging of Baby Boomers and the demands of the current economic environment have driven an increase in multi-generational residences.

Another trend is for senior citizens to live independently in their own homes well into their eighties and nineties.

Whether living alone or with extended family, older adults may have specific needs and limitations that challenge them to evaluate how things are organized. Appropriately arranged space and access-friendly systems can greatly enhance independence for senior citizens whether they live alone or with others.

February is National Senior Independence Month. So it is a good time for seniors and those who love and care for them to take a look at their living quarters and determine if they are organized to promote independence. Here are a few things to look for.

Are open spaces wide enough to walk through and free of obstructions? Have clear wide walk-through spaces between frequently traveled areas like the kitchen and the family room, the bathroom and the bedroom. Remove any items that might be tripped over. Tuck ottomans against chairs and fit fireplace utensils well back against the hearth. Make sure there is enough room to maneuver a cane, walker or wheel chair if necessary. Remember it takes a full sixty inches for a standard wheel chair to turn fully around in a circle.

Can medicines and necessary daily supplies be accessed without help? This can be tricky if there are young children in the house to whom these supplies may pose a danger. Check web sites like www.childsafetystore.com and www.safe-tots.com for products like the Medicine Safe that safely hold medicines but cannot be opened by toddlers. Of course, potentially hazardous items can be placed on a higher shelf if the senior resident is able to reach it without climbing. One of the keys to safe access is no climbing for frequently used supplies. If there is not enough low storage space, try one of the reach extending tools that allows individuals to grasp items about four feet higher than their reach. These can be found at hardware stores and online at sites like www.lillianvernon.com.

Can doors and faucets be easily operated? Round doorknobs require more strength and agility to operate than lever doorknobs. Faucets with separate regulators for hot and cold water require more agility than faucets with a single central regulator that goes from hot to cold.

Older adults may face barriers to opening cans, putting on clothing, carrying items from one place to another. Products that promote independence for folks with limitations of movement or sight may be found at www.goldenviolin.com, www.asweage.com, and www.lighthouse.com. Incorporating these aids in the daily routine of seniors may assist them in continuing to lead independent lives in the setting of their choice.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Moving into a New Space

A professional organizer can provide valuable help to people who are getting ready to occupy new space. Whether that new space is a condominium, a dormitory room, a new office, a refinished attic or a brand new house, the perspective of a third party with training in organizing can give a head start to saving time and living comfortably.

Small spaces are particularly challenging and ways to optimize storage with limited space was handled in a previous blog entitled “Too Little Space”. Up front consultation with a professional organizer can save a lot of hassle.

When Jane moved from home into a dormitory room which she shared with a roommate, there was no space for some of the things she brought with her to college. Her parents loaded four boxes of stuff which could not be crammed into the space and hauled it back home with them. Jane brought still more home with her when she visited. They had wasted valuable time and money purchasing items that were inappropriate for the space available.

Most colleges give lists of suggested items for purchase and dimensions for necessities like computers and refrigerators, but they fall short at suggestions for storage for other must-have items. An organizer will offer suggestions that can make the trip to college more pleasant. The hard decisions about what to take on that first trip can be made before the hectic event of actually moving in. That can save money and make those move-in trips a lot less stressful. Jane and her parents consulted with a professional organizer prior to her sophomore year. She was moving to an Honors dorm with even less space than her previous room, but no roommate. The organizer listened to the problems encountered the prior year, and made suggestions for storage and placement of Jane’s belongings. Jane’s mother reports the items that returned home with them were the tools they brought for installation of storage systems and one stuffed animal that gave up his space for a decorative pillow.
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Even when there is plenty of space, a professional organizer can be of help.

Todd and Jean were moving their family to their dream house. Todd’s mother was joining them and looking forward to occupying the mother-in-law suite built especially for her. The family had moved twice in the past five years and both times had resulted in continuation of storage problems they had lived with in previous houses. Everyone agreed they wanted this time to be different.

The professional organizer met with the family and suggested storage systems for the garage and closets, as well as placement of some items for efficient living. She assisted them in organizing the move so that items were ready for unpacking and storage when they arrived at their new home. Todd says it is the smoothest move they have ever had and the garage looks terrific even with both cars parked inside.

Moving time requires thought, planning and execution, as well as plenty of patience and hard work. A professional organizer can be helpful in all phases of the process.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net