September is National Preparedness Month

Right at Home, an international leader providing in-home companionship, personal care assistance to seniors and disabled adults who want to continue to live independently, is continually monitoring issues that impact our clients and their families from an emotional, physical and financial perspective.

September 2010 is National Preparedness Month, and events across the globe over the past few months reinforce the importance of adequate emergency preparation. Devastating flooding in Pakistan and China, massive wildfires in Russia, crushing earthquakes in Haiti and Peru and an increasingly active Atlantic hurricane season serve as powerful reminders to us all that disaster can strike at any time.

The goal of National Preparedness Month is to educate Americans on ways they can prepare their families to best deal with emergency situations should the worst of circumstances arise. Two critical steps in getting prepared to deal with disaster include creating a Family Emergency Plan and creating an Emergency Supply Kit.

Emergency situations rarely occur at convenient times, so you should consider it a strong possibility that your entire family will not be together when a potential crisis occurs. Taking the time to lay out a sensible Family Emergency Plan can go a long way towards keeping your loved ones safe during times of duress. Ready.gov offers a useful online Emergency Plan tool that will help you evaluate your family's needs. When making a family emergency plan, don't forget to account for elderly relatives, neighbors and friends who might need extra assistance dealing with emergency situations; put some thought into who you know that might not have anyone else to assist them in a time of crisis.

Given the resources the United States has at its disposal, it's easy to assume that should a disaster strike, assistance will not be far behind. As Ready.Gov notes, however:

• "You may need to survive on your own after an emergency. This means having your own food, water, and other supplies in sufficient quantity to last for at least three days. Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster, but they cannot reach everyone immediately. You could get help in hours, or it might take days. In addition, basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment, and telephones may be cut off for days, or even a week or longer"

Creating an Emergency Supply Kit is an easy and affordable way to help your family be prepared! If you are on a tight budget, consider adding items to the kit over time, to ease the financial impact of stockpiling essential goods. Click here for a starter list of items to consider including in your supply kit.

Last week, President Obama issued a Presidential Proclamation regarding National Preparedness Month 2010. Take a moment to read his statement, and familiarize yourself with the glaring need for better individual emergency planning in the U.S.

If you are interested in learning more about Emergency Preparation and National Preparedness Month 2010, check out this calendar of NPM 2010 events, which is sortable by state. In addition to potentially life-saving information, you might find a new way to help your community be prepared should danger arise.

Right at Home is a national company that exists due to its commitment to establishing and maintaining strong roots in the hundreds of communities it serves. We hope that you will review some of this information, and discuss emergency preparation with your family this month. Make a Family Emergency Plan, begin assembling an Emergency Supply Kit and learn more about the emergency response resources in your area; it could wind up being time well spent!

Founded in 1995, Right at Home offers in-home companion and personal care and assistance to seniors and disabled adults who want to continue to live independently. Right at Home directly employs all care-giving staff, each of whom are thoroughly screened, trained, bonded and insured prior to entering a client's home. All ongoing care is monitored and supervised by more than 185 local independent franchises. Right at Home's global office is based in Omaha, Nebraska, with franchise offices located in 40 states nationwide, as well as in the U.K.. For more information on Right at Home High Point, contact Greg Brewer or visit www.rightathome.net. To sign up for Right at Home's free adult caregiving eNewsletter, Caring Right at Home, please go to www.caringnews.com.