How to Create a Family Caregiver Emergency Kit: A 72-Hour Checklist for Power Outages, Disasters, and Medical Crises

Why Seniors Face Greater Risk in Every Kind of Emergency

Hurricane Katrina remains one of the starkest examples: roughly 75% of deaths in New Orleans were people aged 60 and older, according to CDC reporting at the time. That was 2005, and you might wonder whether things have improved. More recent FEMA data from hurricanes, heat waves, and winter storms between 2020 and 2025 confirms the pattern: older adults, especially those with chronic conditions or limited mobility, are consistently overrepresented in disaster-related fatalities. The specific percentages vary by event and region, but the underlying vulnerability has not changed.

Here is why. A senior on supplemental oxygen loses their lifeline the moment the power goes out. A parent with Alzheimer's disease may not understand evacuation instructions or may wander away from a shelter. Someone who uses a wheelchair cannot simply grab a bag and run to the car. The Alzheimer's Association reports that people living with dementia face roughly three times the hospitalization risk during a disaster compared to the general population.

FEMA recommends that every household maintain at least a 72-hour supply of essentials. For families caring for a senior parent, that baseline needs to be expanded and customized. If your parent depends on prescription medications, oxygen, or dialysis, plan for a full seven days of supplies, not just three. Late summer hurricane season makes right now the ideal time to get this done.

Step 1: Assess Your Parent's Unique Emergency Needs

Before you buy a single item, sit down and map out exactly what your parent requires every day. This assessment drives everything else.

Medical Summary Sheet

Create a one-page document listing:

• Every diagnosis (heart failure, COPD, Type 2 diabetes, etc.)
• All current medications with dosages and prescribing doctors
• Allergies (drug and food)
• Medical equipment in use (oxygen concentrator, CPAP, power wheelchair, insulin pump)
• Recent surgeries or hospitalizations

Print two copies. One goes in the kit; one stays on the refrigerator where paramedics can find it.

For Dementia or Alzheimer's

Include a recent, clear photograph of your parent, a medical ID bracelet, and a short list of comfort items that help reduce agitation (a favorite blanket, a specific snack, a family photo album). Pack these in a small "go-bag" that can travel with them.

For Mobility Challenges

Stock spare batteries for power wheelchairs or scooters. If your parent uses a manual transfer belt or portable grab bars, add those to the kit. For hearing aids, keep an extra set of batteries and a cleaning kit. For vision loss, include a magnifying glass and any instructions printed in large type.

Step 2: The 72-Hour Emergency Kit Checklist

This is the core list. Print it, tape it to the inside of a closet door, and check items off as you gather them.

Water and Food

• Water: 1 gallon per person per day. For two people over three days, that is 6 gallons. Store in sealed containers.
• Food: Non-perishable, easy-to-chew items. Think canned fruit, applesauce cups, protein bars, nutritional shakes like Ensure, peanut butter, crackers. Include a manual can opener.

Medications and Medical Supplies

• Medications: A 7-day supply in original labeled bottles. Ask your parent's doctor or pharmacist about getting an extra "emergency refill" authorized. For insulin or other refrigerated drugs, include an insulated bag with cold packs.
• Oxygen: If your parent uses an oxygen concentrator, have at least one backup portable tank and know how to switch to manual delivery. Talk with the oxygen supplier about emergency tank loans.
• Dialysis: Contact the dialysis center now to ask about their disaster protocol and which backup facilities are available in your region.
• General medical supplies: First aid kit, blood pressure cuff, incontinence supplies (enough for 7 days), extra eyeglasses, hearing aid batteries, glucose monitor and test strips.

Important Documents (Waterproof Bag)

• Health insurance cards (Medicare, Medigap, any supplemental)
• Advance directives and DNR orders
• Power of attorney paperwork
• List of all doctors and their phone numbers
• Emergency contact list
• Photo ID for your parent

Tools and Comfort Items

• Flashlight with extra batteries
• Battery-powered or hand-crank radio
• Whistle (for signaling if trapped)
• Multi-tool or basic toolkit
• Warm blankets and a change of clothes
• N95 masks (useful for smoke, dust, or illness)
• Cash in small bills (ATMs may be down)
• Phone charger and a portable battery bank

Step 3: Adapting the Kit for Seniors with Dementia

Emergencies are disorienting for anyone. For a parent with Alzheimer's or another form of dementia, the disruption of routine can trigger severe anxiety, agitation, or wandering.

The Wandering Alert Kit

Pack a recent photo, a medical ID bracelet with your phone number, and if your budget allows, a GPS tracking device. Basic clip-on GPS trackers designed for seniors range from about $30 to $50 for the device plus $15 to $30 per month for the tracking service. A budget-friendly alternative: write your phone number on a fabric bracelet or iron-on label inside their clothing.

A Realistic Take on Emergency Drills

You may have read advice about practicing evacuation drills with a loved one who has dementia. In reality, full-scale drills can cause more confusion and distress than they prevent. Instead, try these gentler approaches:

• Visual schedules: A simple picture board showing "grab bag, go to car, drive to [family member's] house" can be reviewed calmly during a quiet moment.
• Social stories: Short, reassuring narratives ("Sometimes we need to go stay with Aunt Linda for a few days. We will bring your blanket and your photos.") repeated over time.
• Calm walk-throughs: Without urgency, walk your parent to the car and show them where the go-bag is stored. Keep the tone light.

The goal is familiarity, not rehearsal. Keep a written list of your parent's specific triggers and calming strategies in the kit so that any caregiver, including a shelter volunteer, can help.

Step 4: Power Outage Preparedness for Medical Equipment

A prolonged power outage is one of the most dangerous scenarios for a senior who depends on electric medical devices.

Know Your Equipment

Write down the wattage of every device your parent uses daily. An oxygen concentrator typically draws 300 to 600 watts. A CPAP machine uses about 30 to 60 watts. You need these numbers to size a backup power source correctly.

Backup Power Options and Costs

Option	Approximate Cost	Best For
Portable battery station (e.g., Jackery, EcoFlow)	$200 to $800	CPAP, phone charging, small devices
Portable gasoline generator (2,000 to 3,500 watts)	$400 to $1,200	Oxygen concentrators, multiple devices
Car power inverter	$30 to $80	Short-term CPAP or phone charging
Extra oxygen tank rental	Varies by supplier	Oxygen-dependent seniors

For CPAP users specifically, a dedicated CPAP battery backup runs about $200 to $400 and can power most machines for one to two nights.

Register with Your Utility Company

Many electric utilities offer a "medical necessity" or "life support" registry. Once enrolled, your parent's address is flagged for priority restoration during outages. Call your utility's customer service line and ask about their medical needs program. This costs nothing and takes five minutes.

Step 5: Natural Disaster Planning

Hurricanes

Identify your parent's evacuation zone (your county emergency management website will have maps). If your parent cannot drive or transfer independently, arrange transport in advance with a family member, neighbor, or the local special needs registry. Many counties maintain a registry for residents who need evacuation assistance; search "[your county] special needs registry" to sign up.

Wildfires

Pack N95 masks in the kit. Keep the car's gas tank at least half full during fire season. Know at least two evacuation routes from your parent's home, because roads can close with little warning.

Floods

Store the emergency kit and important documents on an upper floor or high shelf. Use waterproof containers or heavy-duty zip-lock bags for paperwork. Never let your parent attempt to drive or walk through floodwater.

For All Disasters

Ensure your parent's phone receives Wireless Emergency Alerts (most cell phones have this enabled by default). Sign up for your county's CodeRed or Nixle notification system as well.

Step 6: Medical Crisis Response Kit

Sometimes the emergency is not a hurricane but a fall at 2 a.m. or a sudden change in symptoms when the doctor's office is closed.

Emergency Contact Card

Print a card with these numbers:

• 911
• Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222
• Primary care doctor (daytime and after-hours line)
• Specialist(s)
• Nearest emergency room
• Two neighbors who have a house key
• Your own cell phone

Laminate it and place one copy by the phone, one in the kit.

Fall Response Plan

If your parent is at high risk for falls, consider a personal emergency response system (PERS) like Medical Guardian or Bay Alarm Medical. Monthly monitoring plans typically run $20 to $45 per month. A rescue lift cushion, which helps a fallen person get up without heavy lifting, costs roughly $200 to $400. Budget-friendly alternative: pre-arrange with a nearby neighbor or friend who can come quickly, and keep their number on the emergency card.

If Your Parent Lives in a Facility

Families sometimes assume that an assisted living community or nursing home has everything covered. Most facilities do have emergency plans, but your role is not zero.

• Ask to review the facility's emergency and evacuation plan. Find out where residents are relocated during an evacuation, how medications travel with them, and how the facility communicates with families during a crisis.
• Pack a personal go-bag and leave it at the facility. Include a change of clothes, comfort items, a copy of the medical summary sheet, a recent photo, and a list of your contact information.
• Confirm backup power. Ask whether the facility has a generator and whether it covers your parent's room or only common areas.
• Know your pickup rights. Some families prefer to bring their parent home during an extended emergency. Clarify the facility's policy on temporary discharges ahead of time.

Step 7: Storing, Maintaining, and Updating the Kit

A kit that sits untouched for two years is almost as risky as no kit at all. Expired medications lose potency. Batteries corrode. Insurance cards change.

• Every six months (use the Daylight Saving Time change as your reminder): check expiration dates on food, water, and medications. Replace anything that is close to expiring.
• Every year: update the medical summary sheet, insurance cards, and emergency contacts. Medication lists change frequently for older adults.
• Storage: Keep the kit in a cool, dry spot that every caregiver knows about. Tell home health aides, adult day program staff, and any family member with a key exactly where it is.

Step 8: Build a Communication Plan

The best supplies in the world will not help if nobody knows the plan.

Contact Card

Fill out a card with:

• Primary family caregiver
• Backup family contact
• Out-of-state contact (local phone lines may be jammed; long-distance calls sometimes get through faster)
• Home health aide or agency
• Pharmacy
• Utility company
• Neighbor with a spare key

Share the Plan Widely

Give printed copies to every person involved in your parent's care. Post one on the refrigerator. Store a digital copy in a shared family group chat or cloud folder.

For Families Dealing with Dementia

If your parent wanders or becomes separated from you during an emergency, a medical ID bracelet and a recent photo in the kit are your two most important tools. Some families also register with the Alzheimer's Association's MedicAlert + Wandering Support program, which provides 24/7 wandering response assistance.

Preparation does not eliminate risk, but it compresses the chaos. A family that has already packed the medications, printed the contact card, and charged the backup battery can focus on their parent instead of scrambling through drawers. Start with the medical summary sheet and the 72-hour checklist this weekend. Everything else can be added over the next few weeks, one step at a time.