There are many resources available to help older adults, caregivers, and professionals working with older adults learn more about disaster planning and response. This page highlights some great places to start as well as providing a platform to spotlight best practices in our southeastern region. We recommend using Search. Find. Help. to locate additional resources.
The CDC Foundation, with technical assistance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), funded NORC at the University of Chicago to study the needs and concerns of older adults and their caregivers during public health emergencies. NORC’s research led to the development of Search. Find. Help., which includes approximately 300 programs and resources. Findings from this project were also synthesized into a final report (appendices; intervention tables); an executive summary; a caregiver infographic highlighting key findings; and a caregiver one-pager of resources, available in English and Spanish.
The AARP Disaster Resilience Tool Kit has been created for local leaders, government staff, aging services professionals, and community advocates and volunteers. When emergency managers, state and local officials, and other community leaders understand the diverse needs of older adults — by working with them and one another — the plans, projects and procedures they design and deploy will be more effective at protecting residents from harm and saving lives.
The Centre plays a unique role in the global risk management and crisis financing architecture. We were established to address major challenges to effective disaster risk financing and promote more impactful and more equitable disaster risk finance at scale, that leaves no one behind.
This guide is intended to support older adults and their caregivers in preparing in three easy steps: assess your needs, create a plan and engage your network. The guide provides easy-to-read, user-friendly worksheets that walk individuals and caregivers through a self-assessment to identify specific needs and checklists that create a personalized plan.
A disaster or emergency that can directly affect your daily life can happen at any time, sometimes without warning. Thankfully, there are things you can do to be prepared, respond safely, and help speed your recovery. These tips from the Red Cross can help you know what to do before, during and after a disaster or emergency.
More resources from American Red Cross
This page includes resources and tips from the Administration for Community Living.
The FEMA app allows you to receive real-time weather alerts, locate emergency shelters in your area, prepare for common hazards, and more.
The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program trains volunteers to both efficiently and safely act as support to professional responders during disaster situations. Before, during, and after disasters, CERT volunteer teams perform basic response activities, including checking in on neighbors, distributing information to the public, supporting emergency operations centers, and helping to manage traffic and crowds. Use this site to find a CERT program near you.
The nation’s housing is ill-equipped to handle the frequency, intensity, and volatility of extreme weather events, and communities are not prepared to respond. Implementing effective housing solutions to mitigate the risk of harmful repercussions of these phenomena is crucial.
This guide is designed for outreach workers, crisis counselors, or other workers or volunteers providing support to older adults after a disaster.
As part of its hurricane and flood response efforts, the NIEHS Worker Training Program (WTP) developed a Mold Cleanup and Treatment orientation for workers, volunteers, and homeowners who engage in small-scale mold cleanup and treatment of flooded or water-damaged homes. Several WTP awardees also offer mold awareness and mold remediation training, and NIEHS has developed mold remediation guidance that is available in both English and Spanish. These resources are found on this page, along with additional health and safety resources for workers who may be exposed to mold during remediation/cleanup work or emergency response activities.
This pamphlet from the American Psychological Association includes disaster preparedness tips, an emergency preparedness kit checklist, and additional online resources.
Disasters are notable for their scale, unpredictability, or both. A hurricane, house fire, earthquake or tornado can leave devastation in its wake. The impact of such an event is often most severe for people who failed to plan ahead for emergencies. You probably have friends, family and neighbors who have no plans for how to act when a disaster is imminent, or how to respond after one has struck. “Operation Emergency Prepare” allows you to help others in your neighborhood who need to get ready.
Operation Hurricane Prepare is designed so that individuals, organizations, and community groups can be prepared in the event of this natural disaster. This project guide is for organizers but could easily be adapted to help individuals and families prepare as well.
Ready offers information and materials in languages other than English. You can learn more about how to prepare before, during and after disasters, including making an emergency plan, building an emergency supply kit, and preparing for individual hazards.
As an older adult, you may have specific needs after a disaster. Use the information on this page to assess your needs and take simple, low-cost steps that help you get better prepared.
Disaster Preparedness for Seniors is a free online, self-paced program for community members to gain awareness and knowledge about the topic. This program takes approximately 45 minutes to complete.
The mission of COPE is to help residents, families, visitors, and neighbors become and remain better prepared to respond to and recover from emergency situations.
The “Disaster Preparedness for Dementia Caregivers” playlist of videos have advice in plain language about planning for storms, addresses the risk of wandering and offers strategies for reducing anxiety.
During the 2023 Florida Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday, you may purchase qualifying items related to disaster preparedness exempt from sales tax.
The Get Ready Tool Kit is designed to help you get organized for any emergency. It’s an image that shows two parts:
Part 1: Household Emergency Plan
Part 2: Emergency Plan Checklist.
The intent of this document is to provide local officials with tools to plan and provide reasonable accommodations for all citizens during disaster incidents.
SENIOR P.R.E.P. is a program designed to provide planning resources to aid South Carolina’s senior population in emergency planning. P.R.E.P. stands for Planning and Resources for Emergency Preparedness.
SENIOR P.R.E.P. is a program designed to provide planning resources to aid South Carolina’s senior population in emergency planning. P.R.E.P. stands for Planning and Resources for Emergency Preparedness.
Complete the form below if you know of an Older Adults Disaster Resource we should include on this website. Please only include organizations that are nonpartisan and are focused on older adult advocacy.
Completion of this form does not guarantee inclusion on our list. Your recommendation will be researched by our Advocacy and Public Policy Committee.