Seniors get tools for emergency prep

Older adults face heightened risk in the event of an emergency or natural disaster. The Clark County Commission on Aging wants to mitigate that risk by helping seniors adequately prepare.

In January 2024, the Commission on Aging and Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency began hosting monthly conversations to give older adults tools to prepare for a potential emergency while still maintaining their sense of independence. Although the monthly conversations concluded at the end of 2024, the Commission on Aging and Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency have not stopped their efforts to teach older adults the importance of emergency preparedness.

“I understand, particularly as a person, that I’m getting older. I understand that there’s a lot of fear and concern around change, and we have to push through that,” Commissioner Cass Freeland said. “We really needed to dive deeply into how aging adults can feel empowered and know much more information about their own safety, if we should have some sort of a natural disaster or something like COVID approaches.”

These conversations — led by Jodi Blackwood, an emergency management coordinator at Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency — helped older residents across the county think more broadly and deeply about emergency preparedness at home, in their neighborhoods and across the region, the Commission on Aging said in its 2024 annual report.

Blackwood began volunteering at Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency in 2016, before becoming a full-time employee in 2022. Blackwood’s role now focuses on community outreach and coordinating the agency’s volunteer programs.

“For seniors, there’s a greater feeling of loss of control, because they may be looking at a potential loss of a home that they’ve lived in for many years of their life or a potential loss of income,” Blackwood said. “It’s important to recognize their capability and their limitations but not be stuck on it — understand what their limitations are, and then look at how they can move past those.”

Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency has been sharing tips about emergency preparedness through presentations to senior housing communities, neighborhood groups and other regional organizations for years.

But these more recent specific conversations gave community members a forum to navigate difficult issues, including how to problem-solve mobility concerns and identify socially isolated community members, according to the Commission on Aging.

The buddy system

At any given time, fewer than 100 emergency responders are on shift in Clark County.

When an emergency occurs, it will be up to residents to take care of themselves, Blackwood said.

She recommends older adults create a buddy system — with either a friend, neighbor, caregiver or family member — so in the event of an emergency, they will never be alone.

Blackwood also recommends that older adults curate a “go bag” that contains nonperishable food, water, medication, a whistle, a blanket and other personal items to be quickly accessed in case of an emergency.

Additionally, older adults should discuss communication methods aside from a cellphone, ensure that they have an ample supply of their medication, and preserve important documents by photographing or scanning them, Blackwood said.

“When something bad happens, the first thing you need to do is take a breath,” Blackwood said.

Aging Readiness Plan

By 2035, more than 25 percent of the population in Clark County will be 60 or older, according to the Commission on Aging.

That’s why the Commission on Aging created the Aging Readiness Plan, which outlines ways to support older residents and other vulnerable communities.

The county first developed the plan in 2012 to accommodate the growing number of older residents. It was revised in 2023 to address changes during the pandemic and include the emergency preparedness chapter, which outlines the ways older adults could be affected by natural disasters.

The plan earned a Judges Merit Award from Gov. Jay Inslee in August 2024 for its efforts to address deficiencies in public infrastructure, enhance social services, improve zoning and planning standards, and increase seniors’ quality of life.

The commission said this demographic shift will have many impacts and the county should plan for it accordingly.

One of the most important aspects of emergency preparedness is empowerment, Blackwood said, meaning older adults should know exactly what steps to take in the event of an emergency, even if a caregiver or a family member is absent.

Freeland concurred.

“For me, empowerment means being able to get the information and have the knowledgeable folks whom I trust be able to give me the information to have me make wise choices,” Freeland said.

For a comprehensive list of emergency preparedness tips for older adults from Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency, visit cresa911.org/315/Preparedness-Tips-for-Seniors.

Chrissy Booker: 360-735-4613; [email protected]

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