For seniors managing complex health needs, and for the family members who care for them, hurricane preparedness goes well beyond a standard supply checklist. It means thinking through medications, transportation, communication, and what happens to a care routine when a storm disrupts everything.
Broward PACE Program coordinates care for participants across medical, social, and daily living needs. But even with that support in place, individual and family-level preparation is essential. No program can replace a personal plan.
Why Older Adults Need More Than a Basic Hurricane Checklist
A standard emergency checklist is a helpful starting point, but many seniors need a more detailed plan. During and after a hurricane, older adults may face additional risks that require extra preparation.
- Medications and ongoing medical needs: When pharmacies close, power goes out, and mail-order deliveries stop, missing doses of critical medications can become urgent quickly. The same goes for oxygen therapy, dialysis, wound care, and other time-sensitive routines.
- Mobility and transportation: For those with limited mobility, a fast evacuation can be easier said than done. Carrying supplies, navigating shelters, and accessing transportation all require advance planning.
- Cognitive changes: For individuals living with dementia or other forms of cognitive impairment, an unfamiliar environment (an emergency shelter, a relative’s home, a different routine) can worsen confusion and agitation. Preparation for a loved one with dementia requires a separate layer of planning.
- Limited support at home: Seniors who live alone or whose caregivers live outside the area may need a clear plan for check-ins before and after a storm.
- Heat-related illness: In Florida’s climate, losing air conditioning after a storm can lead to heat exhaustion or heat stroke – which is especially dangerous for older adults with heart or kidney conditions.
Planning ahead for these concerns can reduce risk and help seniors and caregivers respond more calmly when severe weather is approaching.
Building Your Hurricane Plan
A strong hurricane plan should address three important questions: How much risk does my home face? Will I shelter in place or evacuate? Who will help me coordinate and communicate?
For PACE participants and family caregivers, these questions should be discussed before hurricane season begins, not when a storm is already on the forecast.
Know Your Evacuation Risk
The first step is understanding the risk tied to the senior’s home address. Evacuation zones and flood risk can vary from one neighborhood to another, so it is important to check the home’s location using Florida’s Evacuation Zone Lookup Tool.
Flooding is often one of the greatest threats during a hurricane. Seniors who need extra time, mobility support, medical equipment, or caregiver assistance should not wait until conditions worsen to decide what to do. Knowing the evacuation zone in advance gives everyone more time to make safe decisions.
Caregivers should also consider whether the home is structurally safe, whether it is prone to flooding, whether stairs or elevators could become an issue, and whether the senior depends on electricity for medical equipment.
Decide Whether to Stay or Evacuate
The choice to shelter in place or evacuate should be based on more than personal preference. Factors to consider include the evacuation zone, flood risk, home safety, medical needs, transportation options, and whether a caregiver or trusted support person can be present.
Sheltering in place may be appropriate only if local officials have not ordered an evacuation and the home is safe enough to remain in.
Before a storm arrives, choose the safest area of the home, such as an interior room away from windows. Keep emergency supplies, medications, medical documents, flashlights, communication devices, chargers, and mobility aids nearby. Pets should also be brought into the safe area.
Once conditions deteriorate, remain indoors until local officials announce that it is safe to leave. Caregivers should plan check-ins in advance and understand that phone service may be unreliable during and after the storm.
If evacuation may be needed, decide ahead of time where the senior will go. Options might include a family member’s home, a hotel outside the evacuation zone, a general population shelter, or a special needs shelter if the person qualifies. If you are helping coordinate your loved one’s evacuation from another city, have the conversation about where they will go and how they will get there before the season starts. Last-minute decisions are far harder to execute under storm pressure, and phone service may be unreliable once a storm is close.
If local officials issue an evacuation order, leave as instructed. Waiting too long can make travel more dangerous and limit available support.
Create a Communication Plan
No senior or caregiver should rely on only one person during a hurricane. Before the storm approaches, create a small support network of at least three people.
This network may include:
- a nearby family member, friend, or neighbor
- an out-of-area contact who can help relay updates if local phone service is disrupted
- a healthcare or care coordination contact, such as the PACE care team, pharmacy, or home health provider
For caregivers, assign responsibilities in advance—decide who will make phone calls, who will do in-person visits, who will provide transportation, and who will check in after the storm. If family members live outside the area, they should understand that communication may be delayed for hours or even days after a major storm.
It is also helpful to write the plan down. Keep printed copies in the home, in the emergency kit, and with family caregivers.
Register for Assistance Before a Storm Is Near
Seniors with medical needs, mobility limitations, disabilities, or electricity-dependent equipment may benefit from registering for assistance before hurricane season becomes active.
Florida’s Special Needs Registry is a free state program that identifies individuals with medical needs or disabilities that would make independent evacuation difficult. If you rely on electricity-dependent medical equipment, have a physical disability, or need help accessing medications during a storm, you should be registered. Keep in mind: registration does not replace a personal plan, and it does not automatically guarantee placement in a special needs shelter. It is one layer of protection, not a complete solution.
Broward County also offers a Vulnerable Population Registry for residents who may be at risk after a hurricane because of disability, frailty, health issues, or similar concerns. This registry helps municipalities and emergency responders plan for recovery needs, but it is not a guarantee of services or immediate assistance.
If your loved one is a PACE participant, check with their care coordinator about what the program’s emergency protocols involve. Understanding how care continuity is managed during a storm, and where gaps in personal preparation remain, is an important conversation to have before a hurricane forms.
Build a Senior-Specific Emergency Supply Kit
While every kit needs water and flashlights, a senior-specific kit also includes the essentials that maintain health and comfort. In addition to Broward County’s checklist of recommended supplies be sure to also include:
Medications
Keep at least a seven-day supply of prescription medications when possible. Include a printed medication list with dosages, prescribing physicians, pharmacy information, allergies, and emergency contacts.
Medicare Part D often allows emergency refills before a declared disaster. Talk to your pharmacist early in the season about how to build your supply buffer.
Medical Equipment and Backup Power
For seniors who use oxygen concentrators, CPAP machines, nebulizers, power wheelchairs, or other electricity-dependent devices, backup power is essential.
Make sure battery packs are charged and that any generator plan is safe, realistic, and understood by the caregiver. Include extra batteries for hearing aids, blood pressure monitors, glucose meters, and other devices.
Important Documents
Store copies of key documents in a waterproof folder or sealed bag. These may include:
- photo identification
- insurance cards
- Medicare or Medicaid information
- physician and pharmacy contacts
- emergency contacts
- advance directives
- care instructions
- medication lists
- copies of any shelter or transportation registration
Caregivers should keep digital and printed copies when possible.
Comfort Items
For seniors living with dementia or memory loss, familiar objects can make a major difference during a stressful event. Pack items such as a favorite blanket, family photos, simple activities, favorite snacks, music, headphones, or a written daily routine.
If evacuation is necessary, these familiar items can help reduce anxiety and disorientation in a shelter, hotel, or family member’s home.
Plan Carefully for Chronic Conditions
Hurricanes can interrupt normal care routines. That is why seniors with chronic conditions need more detailed planning.
If medication must be refrigerated, such as some forms of insulin, ask the pharmacist how long it can safely remain at room temperature and how it should be stored during a power outage. Keep a small cooler and ice packs ready.
For seniors who need regular treatments, wound care, oxygen, dialysis, or home health support, caregivers should speak with the care team before hurricane season. Ask what to do if appointments are canceled, transportation is unavailable, or power is lost.
Support Seniors Living with Dementia or Memory Loss
Storm preparation and evacuation can be especially stressful for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. Changes in routine, loud weather, and unfamiliar surroundings may increase confusion or agitation.
Caregivers can help by keeping the environment as calm and predictable as possible. Use a steady tone of voice and simple explanations. Avoid repeating frightening storm details if they increase distress. Try to maintain normal mealtimes, bedtime routines, and familiar activities.
Listening to music, looking through photos, folding towels, sorting objects, or other simple tasks may help redirect attention. If evacuation is needed, make sure the person has identification and that shelter staff or family members understand their cognitive needs.
Caregivers should also plan for wandering risk. Keep a current photo available, label essential belongings, and make sure identification is easy to find.
Stay Safe After the Storm
The period after a hurricane can be just as dangerous as during the storm. Power outages, heat, contaminated food, downed power lines, flooding, and unsafe generator use can all create serious risks for seniors.
Heat-related illness is a major concern during extended power outages. Watch for signs of heat exhaustion, including heavy sweating, weakness, dizziness, nausea, cool or pale skin, and a fast or weak pulse.
To reduce heat risk, stay on the lowest level of the home, keep blinds closed during the day, use battery-powered fans when possible, drink water regularly, and move to a safer cooling location if the home becomes too hot.
Food safety is also important. Perishable food should be thrown away if it has been unrefrigerated for more than four hours. Before using tap water, check whether local officials have issued a boil-water notice.
If a generator is in use, it must always be operated outdoors and kept well away from windows and doors. Carbon monoxide poisoning from generators is among the leading causes of storm-related illness and death in the aftermath of hurricanes. The best emergency decisions are made before the storm is near. By reviewing risks, creating a communication plan, preparing medical supplies, registering for available assistance, and coordinating with trusted caregivers, families can feel more confident heading into hurricane season.
