What is emergency preparedness?

Questions help clarify the steps needed to reach your desired outcome. Some dangers are obvious. A hurricane or an earthquake for example. A heart attack, a car accident or fire are easy to recognize.

How about your dog losing consciousness? What if your dog ate your homework? Does a missing caterer on the day of a wedding constitute an emergency? What if you lost your cell phone on an important business trip with all your contact information?

The nature of an emergency depends on your situation and your perception. Having an earthquake survival kit will help you as much in a wedding disaster as having the cell phone numbers of your caterer’s entire family in case of an earthquake – that is to say no help at all.

Based on the area you live and your circumstances, you could, with a little bit of time, research and thought have a contingency plan to deal with potential crises.

Some common threads run through all emergencies regardless of your situation. These common threads are your lifeline and keeping them in top shape will help you under all conditions.

A part of being prepared is practicing using the equipment you depend on in case of an emergency. We often think of checklists, kits, and supplies, and we neglect the top two primary tools we must have and must be able to use effectively in case of an emergency.

The first is a calm and clear mind, and the second is a body that could respond well to our mind. Practicing the steps that help you remain calm and keeping the body fit so that it can move well are necessary for all emergency conditions.

As we get older, we need to work a little harder at both. Maintaining and in some cases gaining fitness over 50 should be part of our emergency preparation kits.

The interesting part of this process is that mental acuity and physical fitness are the only tools that will serve you in every aspect of life. Their use is not limited to just emergency situations. Are you familiar with the components of physical fitness over 50?

Two components of preparing for an emergency are a mental attitude and physical preparation. They both impact your outcome.

You  could adopt an attitude based on accepting weakness, plan and provide support for it without taking any steps to bring strength into the picture.

You could also take the attitude that regardless of who you are and how old you are,  there’s always something you could do to make yourself stronger.

We often think of an emergency preparedness as making a checklist or a necklace for the elderly to wear. Both are necessary. However, I do not believe that an elderly person must accept her muscular weakness as something that cannot be changed. Nor do I believe that exercises for  seniors should be so watered down to make the activities useless.

There is a strength in the heart of everyone alive regardless of their age.

As I get older I do recognize that my speed, my strength, and my reaction time has slowed. I also recognize that I no longer need to squat 400 pounds or duck under a punch. I can and I have adjusted my exercise protocol for the new biological processes within my body.

I work on balancing my strength with flexibility so that I do not strain my weakened ligaments. I work more on stability exercises and core activation from ground up. I know that strength must pass through my legs to get to my core and  my hands. Strong legs allow me to be more stable  and allow me to continue relying on my legs as my main mode of movement. My core strength is no longer about having six pack abs. My core strength allows me to transfer the signals from my feeds to my brain and vice versa without hesitation or worry.

My emergency preparedness checklist does include an emergency necklace however I depend more than ever on my nutrition and physical activities.

On the physical side, many of my friends live alone and away from their family. As part of an emergency preparedness kit they have established a strong network of people who know their habits and can recognize when something is out of the ordinary. These are the people  who are aware of their habits and where they regularly spend time.

Inform your network how to contact you in  case of a physical emergency or disaster and how to offer assistance. You can do the same for them.

Provide access to them by exchanging keys.

Keep emergency supplies and let them know where you keep them. Emergence kits locked in an attic without anybody’s knowledge doesn’t is not beneficial.

Losing access to the things that we take for granted is part of an emergency. Provide copies of the relative emergency documents including evacuation plans and health data to your network.

Agree, verify and practice the ways you plan to contact each other in case of an emergency.  A cell phone without power or a land line that works through your Internet provider may not work in an emergency. Your plan should not depend on phones working. Have alternative meeting locations.

Keep your network updated if you’re out of town. They may need you when you’re away. Let them know when you may not be available. And they worry about you if they didn’t know .

A reliable network is beneficial to everyone involved. Everyone contributes and everyone benefits.