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Seniors & Stormy Weather

A cloudy, gray sky, is in the background. The yellow sign has the words "Tornado Season Ahead"

According to USA Today, the Midwest tends to see a heavier tornado season in June and July. And that doesn’t even include rainstorms and other non-weather emergencies.

Are you prepared? Are your loved ones prepared?

We recently spoke with a tenured executive director, and she relayed (off the top of her head!) insightful tips for all of us. Okay, severe weather alerts are going off on your TV, power is flickering – what do you do? First, the basics, have a flashlight with new batteries on hand – or maybe two, one in the bedroom and one in the kitchen. Once you have light, be sure you have bottled drinking water and can find the emergency phone numbers written on the refrigerator. Next, grab your fully charged phone and the weather radio to keep up to date on the severity of the storm. If you or loved ones do not have an emergency kit, perhaps one may be a good birthday or holiday gift!

A couple other things to keep in mind – if you are on oxygen be sure to have extra oxygen canisters in case the power goes out. If it becomes necessary to move to a safer location, like the basement, put on your shoes to protect yourself against any future debris; and if you have a pet, be sure to grab a leash or carrier.

If you do not feel you can easily move to the basement safely, go to the most interior room in your home and stay away from windows. If you cannot easily move to somewhere safe, it may be time to consider moving to a Traditions community. The executive director at 7-story Traditions of West Park Place shared a few of their preparedness guidelines:

  • Front desk and all nurses’ stations have weather radios on all the time.
  • Annually they review tornado drills for all 3 shifts.
  • Monthly, they review appropriate ‘what to do’ at all staff meetings (i.e., tornadoes in the spring and snow in the winter) and at the town hall meetings with residents.
  • Staff are always on hand to assist residents in case of severe weather.
  • Part of the welcome packet for new residents includes an in-depth review of emergency preparedness.

“Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.” Consider becoming part of our thriving community and know you can live independently – but you are never on your own.