Americus, GA—July 27, 2023—Today, the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers (RCI) and the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) are releasing Prepared Caregivers: A Toolkit for Caregivers of Veterans for Disaster Preparedness, a guide to help caregivers of Veterans prepare for disasters, including environmental catastrophes and pandemics.
RCI and the VA recently launched a partnership to support caregivers of Veterans, caregivers who are Veterans and caregivers who work for the VA.
“Caregiving can be one of the most rewarding experiences you will ever have, but it can also be one of the most challenging – especially when you are facing an emergency in your home or a disaster in your community. To make matters worse, resources to help families prepare for disasters often lack content that reflects the unique needs of family caregivers, despite the critical role they play in these crises,” said Dr. Jennifer Olsen, chief executive officer of RCI. “In partnership with the VA, RCI is working to change that. Prepared Caregivers supports caregivers of Veterans and the unique challenges they may face in times of disaster so they are better prepared for even the most difficult days.”
Prepared Caregivers is made up of plans, advice, insight and conversation prompts for caregivers of Veterans, with customizable checklists designed to create a plan suited to caregivers’ unique needs. Resources include but are not limited to:
- Explanations of key terms used in the preparedness sector but that are not commonly known
- A military-caregiver-specific emergency plan
- Checklists for caring for people with special needs, pets and service animals in an emergency
- Insight into how the physical and mental wounds of war may cause Veterans to experience disasters differently from other care recipients
- Strategies to help Veterans process their emotions in precarious situations
- Tips for service animals
- Month-by-month guides for assembling disaster kits
- Procedures for navigating life after a disaster
This guide is fully customizable to meet the unique needs of each military caregiver.
To read the toolkit and learn more, please visit https://rosalynncarter.org/emergency-preparedness/.
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