Senior Beat
by Carol Higgins Taylor
Special to The Weekly
That was a pretty impressive winter storm we had several weeks ago. I am luckier than some who lost power for days, and while I wouldn’t classify my experience as a full-on disaster, I learned a lot about how unprepared I was for power outages.
I am a die-hard phone person and have a landline that I will never give up. It plugs directly into
the wall through a phone jack, just like in the olden days. I am often mocked by friends who have opted to use only a cell phone. No matter. Because of my conviction, I was never completely cut off from the outside world. While I do have the cordless variety for convenience, they require electricity, making them useless during the storm.
Due to poor planning, I also had a dead cell phone battery. This week I invested in a battery
operated cell phone charger. It was about $10 and will allow me to recharge my cell battery without electricity. I highly recommend them.
Losing power made me aware that I should practice what I preach. My first thought was the
regret of not assembling a disaster preparedness kit. While I had multiple flashlights and lanterns, they all took different size batteries. I had only AAs in the house.
And then there was the cold. The house got to 52 degrees. As I layered on quilts and fleece
throws, I realized I should have an emergency blanket. These are lightweight, and reflect 90 percent of your body heat back to you. They are in the neighborhood of $10 and are sometimes called “space blankets” or “Mylar blankets.” Check out the camping department of your favorite store to find one. It is critical that seniors do not get too cold because a drop of only a few degrees in core body temperature can result in hypothermia. Take the following tips to heart:
• Arrange to have someone check on you.
• Devise a way to signal for help if necessary.
• Plan ahead for disasters with any home health agencies visit you regularly. What is the
protocol if there are widespread power outages?
Now for food. My cupboard wasn’t bare necessarily, but emergency preparedness food stuffs
consisted of potato chips, crackers, peanut butter and iff-y bread. Everything else required electricity to become edible. The refrigerator held all my nutritious and delicious food, but standing in front of it pondering what to eat was not an option. Must keep the doors shut. Think about stocking the pantry with canned fruit, raisins, protein bars and powered milk for cereal.
Let’s talk coffee. If you, like me, have a dependence on caffeine that ensures a ripping headache
if not consumed in a timely manner, a power outage, re: no coffee, is terrifying. I found Halloween candy which helped because chocolate has caffeine. It was for medicinal purposes only. So, lesson learned, always have a jar of instant coffee on hand.
Questions to ask yourself before the next time we have a storm:
• Are my phone numbers up to date?
• Have I talked to my neighbors and family about what might happen in a power outage?
• How would I get information if I lost power?
• What would I need if I couldn’t get out for a few days?
• Is there a family member who requires special accommodations?
• What are the most important things I need to have with me if I am forced to evacuate, say to a
warming center?
And think about adding a cell phone charger, an emergency blanket, appropriate batteries and
nutritious snacks to your disaster kit.
Carol Higgins Taylor is an advocate for seniors and owns a public relations firm in Bangor. Email her at 4chtaylor@gmail.com