Be Ready for Anything as a Senior

Be Ready for Anything as a Senior

Being a senior can be frightening. While we have more time than ever before in our lives to enjoy ourselves, we also face more dangers. We know that our bodies and our health have seen better days, and we know that when disasters large and small strike - from flu season to hurricanes - it’s seniors that bear the brunt. It’s harder for seniors to avoid accidents in the home, to evacuate ahead of natural disasters, and to head to the pharmacy for a flu shot - to name just a few things.

But there are things that we can do to make sure we’re ready for any eventuality as seniors. If we plan ahead and try to help ourselves out, we’ll find that we’re more prepared when disaster strikes.

Make plans for emergencies

It’s not healthy to imagine all of the things that can go wrong in your life, your home, or your town all of the time. But it is a good idea to do that once: brainstorm all of the potential disasters that could strike you, and write them all down. Then start planning!

Focus on the things that will be toughest for you to do, and make steps to simplify them. For instance, evacuating ahead of a natural disaster is tough for seniors. Make an emergency plan to have a loved one pick you up. Stocking up on emergency supplies now will help you avoid rushes at the grocery stores. Think as well about creating a simple path out of your home in the event of emergencies like fires. And invest in a security system and other protections against home invasions.

Make your home safer

Of course, disasters don’t always originate outside your home. Sometimes, it’s your home itself that’s the problem!

Make sure that your home is as safe as it can be for your senior lifestyle. That means walk-in bathtubs, stairlifts, ramps, and other improvements are a must. Think as well about investing in a medical alert system like LifeAlert. Consider hiring help - in addition to making your life easier, having someone stop by regularly will prevent you from dealing with an emergency for long without anyone knowing.

Gain peace of mind

Of course, none of us can be totally safe all of the time. And that’s alright! Or, at least, it will be if you can rest easy knowing that your loved ones will be protected no matter what happens to you.

As a senior, it’s important that you have a will. It’s also important to have a life insurance policy - if you don’t have one yet, you can pick one up online through a brokerage like OurLifeCovered. If you have these things in place, you can rest easy knowing that nothing that happens to you can disrupt the financial security of your loved ones. That’s the ultimate emergency preparation, and it will give you incredible peace of mind.