The NYC Citizens Corps, which is coordinated by the New York City Office of Emergency Management, publishes a report annually with information to help older adults and people with medical, functional or access needs prepare for a citywide emergency. Here are some of those tips, which providers and others can share with olders.

Prepare for an emergency
Stay informed through Notify NYC Alerts. Notify NYC offers alerts in the 13 most commonly used languages in the city, including American Sign Language. Registration is free and can be done online or by calling 311.

Create a support network
At least two people should have a spare set of your house keys; they should know where to find your emergency supplies; and they should know how to operate your equipment or be able to help move you during an emergency.

Pack a Go Bag
Have a Go Bag with needed documents and equipment packed and ready to go.

Medical emergencies
If you rely on electronic medical equipment, contact your medical supply company for information about battery life and backup power and ask your utility company whether you can register with the utility as a life-sustaining equipment customer.

If you rely on oxygen, talk to your oxygen supplier about emergency replacements and know your provider’s emergency plan for people who receive treatment such as dialysis or chemotherapy.

In the event of an evacuation for a person with complex medical needs, keep duplicate medical files handy.

For prescription medications, talk to your doctor about which medications are essential and how to get an emergency supply. You should also make sure your medications are in your go bag.

During an evacuation
Well before you need to evacuate, you should have an evacuation route and plan in place – including telling people where to meet you after you have left your house.

Be prepared to evacuate as soon as possible, including having reliable means of transportation. MTA bus and subway service will remain normal as long as possible, and Access-a-Ride will operate to support the evacuation of people with disabilities as long as it is safe to do so.

If you have no other options, you can call 311 to request evacuation assistance, but you may not be able to request transportation to a specific address. Depending on your need, you will be taken to a hospital or a shelter.

At an evacuation center or shelter
If you are ordered to evacuate and don’t have somewhere safe to go, an evacuation center is your first recourse.

Most evacuation centers are also emergency shelters. Emergency shelters are available to anyone who needs them. You can take service animals, pets and durable medical equipment with you, and home health aides are allowed to stay with their clients.

Staff have been trained to identify health, access and functional needs, but it is equally important that you communicate your needs.

City emergency shelters are equipped with accessible cots and mobility aids such as canes, crutches, manual wheelchairs, storage space for refrigerated medications and power priority signage for people who rely on electrical medical equipment.

Sheltering at home
If you decide to shelter at home, be sure that you or someone in your support network is able to access essential services and supplies such as food, water, medical assistance, medical equipment and prescriptions.

Additionally, the city is developing a plan to survey areas impacted by disasters that affect more than 5,000 households for more than 48 hours in order to determine the needs of homebound and vulnerable individuals and to refer them to appropriate agencies for assistance.

NYCEM contributed to this post