What We Can Learn from Girl Scouts and the Cookies We Sold
Have you ever heard the words, “don’t stop”, “stay in line” from teachers, coaches and even at the airport while you check in for your flights? During times of chaos or if there is a crowd of people, commanding words such as these do move people and help them follow instructions.
How about times of emergency and disaster…when we are alone, do we know when to evacuate and where to go…? Do we have a sense of urgency? Do we need clear, concise information and instructions to help us make a decision to evacuate or move?
When children take swimming lessons for the first time, the instructor has to encourage them to ‘jump now’…to take the first dive into the pool. We all are creatures of comfort and do need helping hands when it comes to getting out of our norm.
What do you do when there is an emergency? How about our aging parents or grandparents?
Are we prepared for emergencies and disasters?
Lately in America, we faced numerous emergencies and natural disasters…from earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes to fire. Yes, the fire that recently broke out in Texas. Thousands lost their homes and they were not prepared for emergencies and didn’t have an evacuation plan.
The disaster on September 11, 10 years ago was an unexpected event where we lost lives and billions of dollars. America is never the same after that event. What used to be news of terrorists attacks in Egypt or Israel happened in American ground.
The message on plan and prepare is becoming more important and urgent, and we must bring it to the caregivers and the elderly. We cannot have a vague plan and not talk about it. It is time to face the truth and draw out a concrete emergency plan for yourself and your aging loved ones.
Remembering 9/11
9/11 left a mark on Americans. The cool September morning air still brings eerie feelings to many who experienced it first hand in New York and those of us who watched the news played over and over again that day. Our young grandchildren and children may not remember the event and will only learn from stories told.
Yet catastrophe of such magnitude may happen again and natural disasters do strike once in awhile in this nation.
What are you and I to do about it?
What if mom and dad live in Texas and you in California and the fire happened just miles away from their home? Do we have an exit route? Do they know what to bring with them when they evacuate?
Are they prepared? What should they bring? Do you have a checklist?
Throughout this month, we at Keeping in Touch Solutions are sending out checklist to readers and clients about preparing ourselves and our elderly parents and grandparents for emergencies and disasters.
We want to present clear and easy checklists to help you with the process of preparation.
The next step, preparation for emergency, is important and we need to reach out to our parents and help them make the plan concrete. You and your parents must know exactly what to do and where to find each other in case of emergencies.
Let me ask you this: If you have 4 hours to evacuate, what would you bring? What would you do? Where will you go?
Please email us at keepingintouchservices@gmail.com or call us at 1800-666-1540. We would be happy to assist you. Please check out our services at KeepinginTouchSolutons.
Diana Beam is an entrepreneur with a vision and a heart for the elderly. She has more than 30 years of experience as a teacher, long term care administrator, home health care pioneer, senior real estate specialist and owner of Keeping in Touch Solutions. Her passion is to see working women and men with elderly parents set free from guilt of not having time or proximity to their aging parents and helping the elderly with their aging needs and transition challenges. Diana lives in Indiana with her husband Ron and they have 3 grown children, 2 grandsons and a golden retriever named Hope and a calico cat named Ms Dottie. Grab her free report, 7 ways to provide maximum support to your parents, today. If you’d like to learn more about Diana and how she helps elderly clients through Keeping in Touch Solutions, check out her website at www.
