FEMA conducts Ready Seniors, a preparedness event for organizations that support seniors

Logos of organizations that coordinated Ready Seniors: PRGWEP, FEMA, ASSMCA, the Puerto Rico Department of Health, the Puerto Rico Ombudsman for the Elderly, and the Administration for Community Living (ACL).

The Preparedness Division of FEMA's Caribbean Area Office in Puerto Rico coordinated and offered the preparedness event, "Ready Seniors" on August 30-31, 2022, in close coordination with the Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program of the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus. This event focused on strengthening the resilience of organizations and agencies that provide services to the elderly in Puerto Rico during emergencies. 

On August 30, 2022, approximately 280 entities that serve seniors received presentations focused on considerations for supporting seniors in emergencies, facilitated by FEMA, ASSMCA, the Puerto Rico Department of Health, the Puerto Rico Ombudsman for the Elderly, and the Administration for Community Living (ACL). They covered a variety of topics for senior care, such as being prepared for an emergency, how to continue to provide services after an emergency, physical and mental health considerations in emergencies, and important statistics and aspects of the elderly population in order to better serve their needs.

On August 31, 2022, approximately 170 entities participated in a tabletop exercise, facilitated by the Preparedness Division of FEMA's Caribbean Area Office in Puerto Rico. During the exercise, a hurricane emergency warning was simulated that would bring heavy rain and wind and disrupt essential services in Puerto Rico for an extended period of time. Based on this situation, participants discussed the actions they would take to prepare for the arrival of the hurricane, and the lessons they learned after the passage of Hurricane Maria. After this module, the entities dedicated to serving seniors also discussed how they would respond after the hurricane, and what alternatives have worked for them to recover after an emergency.

This Ready Seniors initiative began in 2018 through a collaboration between FEMA Region 2, and the regional offices of the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA), which are part of the Federal Department of Health and Human Services. Following this event held in August 2022, the Preparedness Division hopes to continue to develop events that address the needs and recommendations identified by the participants to further promote preparedness in the senior community.