CONTACT
Check-in
Agree who makes contact, by which method and when. Name a second helper if the first person cannot respond.
EVERYDAY HOUSEHOLD READINESS
An emergency plan that works for your access needs
Plan support, communication, transport and care around the person who will use them.
01
Reach
Can everyone reach the supplies and exits?
02
Communicate
Choose ways to share the plan that work for each person.
03
Arrange help
Name a helper and a backup; discuss transport and individual needs.
Build the plan with the person who will use it.
Start with daily routines and the assistance the person wants. Do not assume an older adult needs help or that everyone with the same disability needs the same solution. Discuss what could become difficult if the lift, phone, caregiver visit, transport or power supply is unavailable. Keep personal details private and share them only with agreed helpers.
Give each essential task a backup.
Your plan, agreed with your helpers
TRANSPORT
Getting out
Identify a route and transport arrangement that work for the person and their equipment. Discuss building evacuation with the manager; do not rely on a working elevator.
DESTINATION
Where to go
Ask potential destinations about entrances, bathrooms, charging, care support and space for equipment. Confirm arrangements in advance instead of assuming every shelter meets every need.
The Red Cross support-network guide offers a framework for planning with people you trust. A name on a contact list is not a confirmed commitment.
Make instructions usable without your usual device.
- Choose a backup format that suits you: large print, a short written card, communication board or another familiar aid.
- Record how you prefer to communicate and what assistance you want. Keep a copy accessible without unlocking a phone.
- Check that alerts and alarms suit hearing and vision needs. Ask qualified providers about compatible accessible alerting equipment.
- Pack the chargers, batteries or other supplies your communication equipment needs. Keep instructions short enough for a helper to use.
The Red Cross inclusive-preparedness resources covers personal assessment, communication and access planning.
Review care and equipment needs with the right people.
For power-dependent medical equipment, ask the equipment supplier and care team to document the exact power requirements, approved backup arrangements and when to relocate. Do not test readiness by disconnecting essential equipment, changing treatment or improvising adapters. A consumer power-station calculation is not a medical continuity plan.
Use the existing medication outage guide to prepare questions for your pharmacist or clinician. Keep current instructions, supplier contacts and the supplies the person actually uses together. Ask about local assistance programs, but maintain your own backup arrangements rather than assuming registration guarantees help.
Try a calm walk-through, not a lifting drill.
With consent, locate the plan, supplies and agreed contacts. Talk through the route and destination while normal services are working. Do not attempt unfamiliar transfers, stair carries or risky evacuation maneuvers; seek appropriate hands-on training for those tasks.
One gap
What item, instruction or arrangement could not be found or confirmed?
One owner
Who has agreed to fix that gap?
One follow-up
When will you check that the arrangement works?
Add the agreements to your household plan.
Record the helper, backup helper, communication method, transport contact and destination on your own paper or device. No personal health information needs to be submitted to this site.
Open the free household plan · Plan your departure · Plan animal supplies
Sources checked September 10, 2026. General planning guidance, not an individualized medical plan or sanitation engineering advice. Independent specialist review has not been completed. Current local instructions take precedence.
A closer look
Household planning
Can someone else use your household plan?
Try a simple handover of contacts, supplies and responsibilities so the plan does not depend on one person being home.
Compare equipment when you find a gap
Choose controls, weight, alerts and charging arrangements for the person using them. These comparisons do not establish medical-device compatibility.