“Early decision making is key in any type of storm preparedness. Timing, knowing what your city/county alerts are, and making sure you have a communication plan, is vital.” — Celeste Lynch, Executive Director, Moorings Park Grand Lake
Are you prepared if a major storm threatens your area? Do you know whether to evacuate or shelter in place with your loved one who has dementia? Have you created a communication plan that accounts for potential power outages and cell tower failures?
We are Sue Ryan and Nancy Treaster. As caregivers for our loved ones with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia, we understand how storm season brings increased anxiety and critical decisions that require advance planning. Whether your loved one lives at home or in a care community, preparing for storms demands special considerations for people living with dementia.
We spoke with Celeste Lynch, Executive Director at Moorings Park Grand Lake in Naples, Florida. With nearly 40 years experience in senior living leadership, emergency planning, and resident safety, Celeste shared valuable insights on storm preparedness from both the care community and at-home perspectives.
If you’re following along with the Navigating Dementia Caregiving Roadmap Guide, today’s topic aligns with Step 14: Create a Care Plan and Family Emergency Plan.
Let’s explore four essential tips for weathering storms safely with your loved one who has dementia.
Tip 1: Prepare Ahead of Time Using a Four-Phase Approach
Effective storm preparedness starts long before any weather alert appears. Celeste recommends a systematic four-phase approach that works whether your loved one lives at home or in a care community.
Phase One: Seasonal Preparation (Six Weeks in Advance)
At least six weeks before storm season begins — wherever you live — begin gathering essential supplies and creating your plans. This is the time to think through logistics without the pressure of an imminent threat.
Phase Two: Final Preparations (72 Hours Before Storm)
When a major storm enters the forecast, finalize your preparations. Make sure your home is secure or, if your loved one is living in a care community, verify that the community team has everything set up as needed. This is when you confirm your supplies are complete and your communication plan is ready to activate.
Phase Three: Last-Minute Checks (24 Hours Before Storm)
In the final day before a storm arrives, finalize everything. Know where your family members are located, confirm your own plan is in place, and update friends on your preparations.
Celeste encourages: If you’re caring for someone in a care community, this is not the time to make visits — the staff needs to focus on final preparations.
Phase Four: During the Storm
Whether you’re sheltering in place or evacuated, execute the plan you’ve made.
From the community perspective, Celeste emphasizes: If your loved one is in a care community, they will be well taken care of. You need your own plan to ensure you stay safe as well.
Preparing When Your Loved One Lives in a Care Community
Keep an eye on these key areas:
- Update contact information with the community. Make sure they have current phone numbers and email addresses for the primary contact person — ideally someone who won’t be in the storm’s path.
- Understand the community’s storm plan. Will they evacuate or shelter in place? Knowing this in advance prevents confusion and anxiety.
- Prepare personal items: Examples include extra glasses, hearing aids with batteries, backup medications, denture supplies. Make sure all belongings are clearly labeled.
- Ensure medication supplies are adequate. Have prescriptions refilled to go out at least 2–5 weeks as well as over-the-counter medications and supplements.
- Communicate your family’s storm plans with the community so everyone knows where you will be and how to reach you.
Sue shares: When my husband lived in a care community during a major storm, their detailed planning and clear communication brought enormous peace of mind. Understanding their process allowed me to trust the plan and be a supportive partner — both to my husband and to the care community — throughout the storm.
Preparing When Your Loved One Lives at Home
Home preparation requires even more detailed attention. Depending on the type of storm, it’s important to have supplies for from 3 days to 2 weeks. It’s also important to consider both your needs and the needs of your loved one. Here are a few examples to build your custom checklist from:
Medication Management
- Create a complete list of all medications, supplements, dosages, and timing.
- Include special instructions (take with food, etc.).
- Get extra supplies — pharmacies can provide emergency medication in advance of storms.
- Have a printed copy of medication instructions.
- Fully stocked first-aid kit.
Care Plans and Documentation
- Print your loved one’s care plan so you can reference it even without power. Click here for detailed information on creating and implementing your care plan.
- Keep digital and printed copies of important documents (legal papers, insurance information, medical records).
- Store important documents in waterproof containers.
Personal Care Supplies
- Stock extra hygiene essentials such as incontinence supplies, cleansing wipes, no-rinse shampoo.
- Have plenty of any specialized items your loved one needs.
- Keep extra glasses and hearing aid batteries accessible.
- Personal sanitation supplies including hand sanitizer, antibacterial hand wipes, disposable gloves, disinfectant.
Clothing Considerations
- Plan for weather conditions without power — warm layers for cold climates, light breathable clothing for hot climates.
- Have multiple changes of clothing ready.
- Based on the type of storm, have appropriate footwear.
Durable Medical Equipment
- Check what equipment requires power versus battery operation. For example, know how oxygen tanks function without electricity.
- Have backup plans for essential medical equipment.
- Ensure you have necessary batteries and chargers.
Additional Survival Supply Categories for Your Checklist
- Water & hydration
- Food & nutrition
- Lighting & power
- Tools & repair supplies
- Safety & shelter
- Sanitation supplies.
Create a Comfort Zone
Set up a specific area in your home filled with items that bring your loved one comfort. This space can help reduce anxiety during the stress of a storm. There can be a wide variety of items in this area, such as:
- Familiar objects
- Photos
- Favorite music (with battery-operated player)
- Fidget items such as: stress balls, sensory mats, twiddle muffs
- Soft blankets
- Soft lighting such as battery LED candles (reduce harsh shadows during outages)
- Favorite non-perishable snacks
- Favorite articles of clothing
- “Memory box” with tactile items from their life story.
Tip 2: Decide Whether to Shelter in Place or Evacuate
This is perhaps the biggest decision you’ll face when a severe storm threatens. The choice depends on multiple factors and requires an honest assessment of capabilities and risks.
For Care Community Residents:
If your loved one lives in a care community, understand what the community plans to do. Most well-equipped communities shelter in place because they have:
- Generator power for electricity, lighting, elevators, refrigeration.
- Food and water supplies (meals may not be the usual hot fare, but everyone will be fed).
- Trained staff available throughout the storm.
- Structural safety designed for storm conditions.
Here is an important question for you to ask: Can spouses stay with residents during a storm? Many communities welcome this, and it can provide helpful reassurance for you, your loved one, your family.
For At-Home Caregivers
The decision to stay or evacuate becomes more complex when caring for someone at home. Consider these critical factors:
- Executive Function Challenges. Even if your loved one can manage independently in normal circumstances, non-routine environments create significant challenges for people with dementia. The stress and disruption of a storm can make it unsafe for someone to remain alone, even if they typically live independently. They may need to stay with you or another caregiver rather than riding out the storm alone.
- Physical Safety Capabilities. Ask yourself:
- Does my loved one have mobility challenges?
- If they fell, can I get them up without assistance?
- Could 911 respond during a severe storm?
- Can I realistically provide 24/7 care alone for multiple days?
- Do we live in an area difficult to rescue if flooding occurs?
3. Power Loss Management. Without a home generator:
- How will you manage food storage and preparation?
- Can you maintain adequate water supplies?
- Will you have appropriate clothing for temperature extremes?
- Can essential medical equipment function?
Behavioral Considerations
When people living with dementia are out of their routine, they can become aggressive or agitated. Make sure you can safely manage their potential behavioral changes in a storm situation.
Sue navigated all three options throughout her caregiving journey. She sheltered in place with her husband in a care community during one major storm, which allowed her to support him directly. She stayed home with him several times. And once, she chose to evacuate with her husband when a major hurricane approached because the risks of staying were too great. While evacuation was challenging, it was safer than the alternatives.
Sue explains: I had been keeping my husband in a very strict routine. I knew taking him out of his routine would be incredibly hard on him — and me — and it was. I also knew it was safer than risking trying to care for him without power, water, or the ability to go anywhere by car. I made the wisest choice for safety, not convenience.
For detailed guidance on evacuation preparations, please listen to Episode 19 of The Caregiver’s Journey podcast, titled: Traveling: Four Essential Tips / Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias
Tip 3: Strengthen Your Communication Plan Before, During, and After the Storm
A solid communication plan prevents confusion and provides peace of mind when normal communication channels fail.
For Care Community Families
- Designate One Primary Contact
Celest explains: Choose one person as the main point of contact and inform the care community. This prevents confusion and ensures consistent information flow. Ideally, choose someone who won’t be in the storm’s direct path — they’ll be most able to maintain communication and relay updates to other family members.
2. Understand the Care Community’s Communication System
Ask these questions before storm season:
- What emergency alert system does the community use?
- How often will updates be provided before, during, and after the storm?
- Will updates be posted online for family members to access?
- Who specifically should you contact if you have questions?
3. Plan for Cell Tower Outages
When Sue’s husband was in a care community during a major storm, she wasn’t the best point of contact because she was in the storm too. Having a designated family member outside the affected area proved invaluable.
For At-Home Caregivers
- Create a Family and Neighbor Communication Plan
- Designate someone outside the storm area to be your communication hub.
- Share your evacuation or shelter-in-place plan with them.
- Keep neighbors informed of your plans.
2. Print and carry phone numbers: If you can’t access your contacts list, you can’t make calls.
Sue: Trust me, I learned this the hard way — I hadn’t considered it at all! I now keep a list of key phone numbers in my purse at all times.
3. Prepare for Communication Failures
Have backup methods ready:
- Battery-operated or hand-crank radio
- Charged backup batteries for phones
- Written list of emergency contacts
- Predetermined check-in times with out-of-area contacts.
Tip 4: Safely Restore Routine After the Storm — But Don’t Rush It
For people living with dementia, routine provides essential comfort and orientation. After a storm, one of your most important tasks is helping them return to normalcy. Rushing this process creates more problems than it solves.
Wait Until It’s Truly Safe
You cannot restore routine until basic necessities are accessible:
- Power is restored (or alternatives are in place)
- Roads are safe to drive
- Stores are open for food and supplies
- Gas stations are operational
- Water is safe to drink.
There is no benefit to rushing back.
Whether returning home after evacuation, or resuming normal activities after sheltering in place, prioritize safety over speed.
For Care Community Families
Do not visit the care community until their leadership team confirms it’s safe. The last thing the community team needs, while working to restore routines, is managing family visits. Trust that the community will reach out when they’re ready for reunification.
When it is safe to return, the care community will have their routines largely reestablished, making the transition smoother for your loved one.
For At-Home Caregivers
Restore Elements of Routine Gradually:
- Start with the most familiar and comforting activities.
- Keep explanations simple about changes (power still out, can’t watch TV yet).
- Maintain regular meal and medication times even if circumstances are different.
- Use familiar objects and activities to provide comfort.
- Be patient with confusion or agitation — this is normal after disruption.
Access Local Resources
After the storm, depending on where you live, there will be a variety of agencies that provide support. These are important types of support to learn about when the weather is calm, so you know how to connect with them when the weather isn’t. Here are a few examples in the United States:
- FEMA assistance programs.
- DisasterAssistance.gov.
- Relief organizations such as the Red Cross.
- County health department services.
- Local emergency management resources.
Give Yourself and Everyone Else Grace Upon Grace
No matter how well you prepare, storms challenge everyone. Sue reminds us that a storm is “a perfectly imperfect journey.” You’re doing your best in difficult circumstances. Be kind to yourself, your loved one, and everyone helping you through this experience.
Start Planning Today
Storm preparedness for dementia caregivers requires advance planning, honest assessment of capabilities, clear communication, and patience in recovery. Whether your loved one lives at home or in a care community, taking time now to create your storm plan will provide invaluable peace of mind when severe weather threatens.
Care communities undergo training that is scheduled regularly throughout the year for a variety of potential emergencies, and maintain detailed emergency protocols. At home, you’ll need to create these systems yourself, and the effort is worthwhile. The difference between a manageable storm experience and a crisis often comes down to the preparation you do today, while the sun is shining.
How do you prepare for storms with your loved one who has dementia? Do you have tips for maintaining routine during power outages or managing anxiety during severe weather? Share your experiences in the comments below or on our Facebook or Instagram pages.
Using this blog number, go to thecaregiversjourney.org where you can find additional resources and information. If you find this blog helpful, please share it with other people who you think it might help. Please follow us or subscribe to our updates. We appreciate it.
Connect with us:
To find more information on the Moorings Park® Communities in Naples, Florida, click HERE.
We’re all on this journey together.
#Alzheimer #dementia #caregiver #podcast #advice #howto #braindisease #dementiasupport #memory #blog #braincare
