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IS A GIFT OF LOVE
Starting the Conversation
NEW STORY!
1. Sign up for emergency alerts: Visit CalAlerts.org to sign up for alerts in your area. Consider signing up for alerts in an older loved one’s area too.
treasure. Valentine’s Day is an opportunity to connect — and not just in a romantic way. A hug, a smile, or a good conversation can improve anyone's day.
Brighten a parent’s, grandparent’s, or older friend’s Valentine’s Day by asking about their stories and adventures. These conversations can lead to important discussions about loved ones’ well-being and future, as well as their lives today.
Baking Cookies with Rosa Cortés: For Rosa, Valentine’s Day is a very special occasion because she loves spending time with her daughters Lilly and Sandy and her grandchildren. “I enjoy cooking for them; they like everything I make, and that brings me joy,” says Rosa, who is 78 years old. One of the greatest gifts for her is quality time spent with her family.
2. Make a disaster-ready plan: Create a list of contact information you may need; decide where to meet if you’re separated from loved ones; practice your plan.
3. Pack a go bag: To grab when you need to leave quickly, including important documents and items for each family member, keys, wallet, identification, phone and charger, and medication.
4. Pack a stay box: Include basic supplies for when you can’t leave home, such as food that won’t spoil, water, a flashlight, trash bags, and medication – enough for three days.
5. Help friends and neighbors: Exchange contact information with your neighbors and plan how you might work together in an emergency.
• Water
• Non-perishable food
• Medication, especially prescriptions
• list of prescriptions
• Eyeglasses
• Copies of important documents
• List of important phone numbers
• Cash
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• FIRST AID KIT
• WHISTLE, TO SIGNAL FOR HELP
• MOIST TOWELETTES, GARBAGE BAGS, AND PLASTIC
TIES FOR PERSONAL SANITATION
• PERSONAL HYGIENE ITEMS
• MANUAL CAN OPENER
• CELL PHONE CHARGER
• BACKUP BATTERY
What should older adults put in a
go bag?
Trusted connections with family, friends, caregivers, and healthcare providers are crucial to ensure older adults’ and adults with disabilities’ needs are met during emergencies. Important considerations include:
Friendship is an invaluable
5 Readiness Actions
• Emergency Preparedness Guide
• MyHazards
• CalAlerts
• Listos California
• Ready.gov
• Medicare: Care in an Emergency
Quick Links
While Lilly and Sandy are in the kitchen baking cookies with their mom and talking about their favorite recipes, they take the opportunity to ask if she needs help when she cooks or if she would like to rearrange the pans and plates to make them easier to reach. Rosa shares that it would be better to have some items on the lower shelves. Lilly and Sandy get to work moving pans to make it easier for Rosa to cook comfortably.
Starting conversations about issues related to aging can sometimes feel uncomfortable but it is necessary. You can start with simple, everyday questions like:
Enjoying Music with Raúl Escalante: Raúl, 90, loves listening to music with his daughters and grandchildren while they have fun playing board games. His daughter Sandy notices that her dad is having some trouble hearing. She asks if his hearing aid is working, to which Raúl replies yes, but he needs to go to the doctor to have it checked.
Sandy takes the opportunity to ask if he feels comfortable behind the wheel. “I don’t enjoy driving like I used to, I get nervous,” says Raúl. Sandy arranges with her sisters to take their dad to the doctor, and when necessary, Sandy will pick up his medications from the clinic, so he doesn’t have to drive. This conversation gives both Raúl and Sandy peace of mind.
Asking questions makes a difference because it can open the door to important discussions about health, safety, and the future. If a loved one needs support, the California Department of Aging, through local partners, offers a wide range of free local resources to help older adults thrive:
Enjoying Music with Raúl Escalante: Raúl, 90, loves listening to music with his daughters and grandchildren while they have fun playing board games. His daughter Sandy notices that her dad is having some trouble hearing. She asks if his hearing aid is working, to which Raúl replies yes, but he needs to go to the doctor to have it checked.
Sandy takes the opportunity to ask if he feels comfortable behind the wheel. “I don’t enjoy driving like I used to, I get nervous,” says Raúl. Sandy arranges with her sisters to take their dad to the doctor, and when necessary, Sandy will pick up his medications from the clinic, so he doesn’t have to drive. This conversation gives both Raúl and Sandy peace of mind.
Asking questions makes a difference because it can open the door to important discussions about health, safety, and the future. If a loved one needs support, the California Department of Aging, through local partners, offers a wide range of free local resources to help older adults thrive:
Rosa Cortes with her daughters Sandy (left) and Lilly (right)
Rosa Cortes with her daughters Sandy (left) and Lilly (right)
What hobbies or activities have you enjoyed recently?
Do you enjoy cooking? Do you need help organizing your kitchen?
Have you had time to organize important paperwork, like for your bank accounts? Do you need help with that?
Do you feel comfortable driving?
In case of an emergency, would you need help evacuating your home?
Do you have an emergency contact list?
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Meals in a group setting or delivered to the home
Nutrition counseling and classes
Fall prevention
Medicare counseling
Family caregiver support
Legal services
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By 2030, one in four Californians will be 60 or older, the first time in history that the older population will be larger than the under-18 age group. Considering that one in four older adults lives alone, according to Pew Research Center data, talking about how older loved ones are doing now and what they’d like to do in the future is important. For details about available resources for older adults, visit aging.ca.gov and California’s Aging Resource Guide.
“Older adults shouldn’t feel embarrassed to talk to their children, share how they feel, or ask for help,” says Rosa.
This Valentine’s Day, in addition to the call, candy, or flowers, take the time to ask older loved ones how they are doing, how they are planning for their future, and how you can support them. That is truly a gift of love.
By 2030, one in four Californians will be 60 or older, the first time in history that the older population will be larger than the under-18 age group. Considering that one in four older adults lives alone, according to Pew Research Center data, talking about how older loved ones are doing now and what they’d like to do in the future is important. For details about available resources for older adults, visit aging.ca.gov and California’s Aging Resource Guide.
“Older adults shouldn’t feel embarrassed to talk to their children, share how they feel, or ask for help,” says Rosa.
This Valentine’s Day, in addition to the call, candy, or flowers, take the time to ask older loved ones how they are doing, how they are planning for their future, and how you can support them. That is truly a gift of love.
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