By Vicki Rackner, M.D.

As you watched the news about hurricanes last season, you may have asked yourself, “What can I do?” And in quiet moments you might have wondered,”What if it were me?” 

How can you, as a caregiver, help survivors of natural disasters and emergencies? And how can you prepare your family for an emergency situation of your own? 

I’ve out together a few suggestions for both of these situations. Some ideas come from my experience as a doctor helping people in times of medical need; other ideas come from my own experience losing my entire home and possessions in a house fire. 

For Survivors

1. Give (what you can).
    
   Think about your morning. Maybe you read the newspaper wrapped in your favorite robe, sipping coffee from the mug your child made for you. You clipped out an article and posted it on the fridge with the magnet you bought on a trip to the ocean. You wrote a reminder note to yourself in your day-timer and put a stamp on a bill.  Then you scrambled eggs and cut a piece of melon and poured a glass of cold water from your bottled water dispenser. You took the dog for a walk, showered and changed your clothes. 
   
   Now imagine everything you physically touched vanished. You had to replace it all. The  scissors, the coffee maker, the stamps, the fridge magnets, the pens, the leash, soap and laundry detergent and iron, toiletries and cosmetics. Then there’s the fridge and all of its contents as well as every spice in the house, pots and pans, plates and silverware. Sure you can get another robe and another coffee mug, but they’re not imbued with the feel and memories that make them special.
   
   The expense and energy associated with rebuilding a life is mind-boggling.  Right now natural disaster or emergency survivors need basics -- food, water, and clothing.
   
   As a caregiver, you may not have any extra cash lying around—but do you have an extra flannel shirt or two? Old sheets that may have lost their luster but are clean? Extra canned food? Anything helps someone who lost everything.
   Lives aren’t rebuilt in a week or a month. It takes time…and money…to replace the catastrophic losses. Give generously. Help your kids give some of their money. Continue to give generously when news about a disaster is no longer a constant presence in your life.  Celebrate birthdays and anniversaries with a note that says a donation has been made in their name to help rebuild lives.
   
2. Listen to stories.
   
    
   I appreciate the chance to tell my story about the fire.  I have told it many times, and with each time another layer of trauma heals. Maybe you can get to know a family who is displaced. Give them a call. Let the kids become their pen pals. Give those who have a story a safe place to tell an active and concerned listener.  And be willing to listen to the story many times. You don’t have to fix anything. All you have to do is listen.
   
   Tell survivors, “You have made a difference in my life.” I feel better when I know that my own tragedy improves the lives of others.  I have a warm feeling every time someone at the grocery store tells me, “I just replaced my clothes dryer after I heard what happened to you” or “Your house fire was a wake-up call.  I finally got my family together and put our emergency plan on paper.” or “We installed smoke alarms” after we heard what happened.    
   
3. Donate blood.
   
    
   One pint of blood that you donate could save up to three lives. Many companies have health fairs where you can donate blood—or check with your doctor or local American Red Cross to see where you can donate blood.

For You

1. Prepare for an emergency.
    
   Think about what you would take if you had ten minutes to evacuate your home. What do you need to take? It should all be in one place since you won’t have a lot of time to look for anything. Designate one spot where your family will meet—that way you won’t need to spend time on the phone (plus, phone lines might be out!) attempting to coordinate a meeting spot.
   
   Identify an out-of-state contact that will be the central communication source.  Program an ICE “In Case of Emergency” telephone number into your cell phone. Get emergency-preparedness kits for your home.
   
2. Get organized.
   
   Put important records in a single notebook file. Put information about insurance policy numbers, bank account numbers, and home maintenance information in one place.
   
3. Protect your treasures.
   
   Put a digital disc or negatives of treasured photos or videos in the safe deposit box at the bank. Keep a back-up of the contents of your computer off-site. Consider keeping some treasures at a trusted friend’s home.
   
4. Create an emergency medical plan.
    
   Keep a two-week supply of medication at home. If your insurance enables it, try to keep a month or more of a supply (if the medicine is not perishable). Keep copies of all your medical records in your safe folder that is at the bank. Ask your doctor what you can do in the event that you have an emergency, and your medication runs out.

Times of crisis offer opportunities to enter into the cycle of giving and receiving.

It does not matter how you enter the cycle, because the boundary between giving and receiving is porous.

Your own life is enriched by the chance to give to others.  You can honor the loss of others by caring for yourself and those in your family and community.  And in doing so you can trust that helping hands will be there for you, should you need it some day.