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Seniors and the Disabled
It is highly likely that seniors and those with disabilities will require special assistance during a disaster or when an evacuation is ordered. Considerable thought should be devoted to your plan when considering their needs.
Additionally, The Town of Bethany Beach is fully committed to helping those people.
Should the need arise during an emergency situation, and if needed outside of your family plan, assistance to seniors and those disabled can be obtained for calling the Sussex County Emergency Operations Center at (302) 856-7366 or the Bethany Beach Police Department at (302) 539-1000.
Those calls will then be referred to the Delaware Emergency Management Agency who will provide transportation to a shelter specially equipped to handle those needs. At present there are three shelters in Sussex County designated for that purpose, all located in Georgetown, DE. Depending upon the type of disaster DEMA will determine which shelter(s) will be opened to handle the needs of seniors and the disabled.
Additionally, The Town of Bethany Beach is fully committed to helping those people.
Should the need arise during an emergency situation, and if needed outside of your family plan, assistance to seniors and those disabled can be obtained for calling the Sussex County Emergency Operations Center at (302) 856-7366 or the Bethany Beach Police Department at (302) 539-1000.
Those calls will then be referred to the Delaware Emergency Management Agency who will provide transportation to a shelter specially equipped to handle those needs. At present there are three shelters in Sussex County designated for that purpose, all located in Georgetown, DE. Depending upon the type of disaster DEMA will determine which shelter(s) will be opened to handle the needs of seniors and the disabled.
Before a Disaster Consider:
- Setting up a Personal Support network – Designate someone to check on you in an emergency and to help with evacuation or sheltering-in-place
- Personal Care Assistance – If you receive assistance from a home healthcare agency or in-home support provider, find out how the provider will respond in an emergency. Designate backup or alternative providers that you can contact in an emergency
- For Persons Using a Wheelchair – Plan for how you will evacuate in an emergency and discuss it with your care providers. If you use a motorized wheelchair, have a manual wheelchair as a backup
- For Persons who are Blind or Visually Impaired – Keep an extra collapsible can by your bed. Attach a whistle to the can and use it if needed to attract attention. Use caution when moving around as items in your home may become displaced during certain disasters.
- For Persons who are Hearing Impaired – Keep extra batteries for your hearing aids with emergency supplies. Consider storing your hearing aids in a container attached to your nightstand or bedpost so you can locate them quickly after a disaster.