How to Prepare your Residential Aged Care Home for Disaster or Emergency

• Develop emergency and disaster management plans that describe how the provider and aged care workers will respond to an emergency or disaster, and to manage risks to the health, safety and wellbeing of residents and aged care workers.  
• Implement strategies to prepare for and respond to an emergency or disaster.  
• Engage with residents, their families and aged care workers about the emergency and disaster management plans.  
• Regularly test and review the emergency and disaster management plans in partnership with residents, their families, aged care workers and other response partners.

What your emergency plan should include

• Plan for evacuation and shelter-in-place scenarios
• Identify suitable transport options: arrange accessible transport for residents, including those with mobility needs
• Establish communication protocols: maintain clear communication with staff, families and emergency services
• Coordinate with local agencies: build relationships with your local emergency, community and government services before an event
• Ensure adequate supplies: stockpile necessary medications, food, water and personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Implement infection control measures: adhere to protocols to prevent outbreaks
• Maintain power and communication lines: have backup generators or a plan to access a generator and communication devices
• Contact other RACHs in your local area and agree on how you can offer mutual support (e.g. if your RACH is affected by a fire or another emergency and needs to close, you can have a plan in place to direct your patients to a nearby RACH until the risk has been averted)
• Many of your staff may live close to the RACH. It is important to encourage them to have their own emergency plan and to consider, in your emergency planning, which staff may be impacted by an event that affects your facility
• Talk to your residents and their families about your plan and encourage them to prepare too. Evacuation can be scary and unpredictable. By giving the resident or their family members a level of autonomy in preparing their own “go bag”, it allows them to have a sense of control in an otherwise unpredictable situation. Pillowcases can even be used for this purpose. We can provide examples of checklists if needed.

Training and exercises are vital

• Evacuation exercises: regularly conduct drills to ensure all staff are prepared
• Mandatory training: training is essential for all staff within the facility to ensure they are prepared
• Emergency management plans: regularly testing and reviewing emergency management plans will improve your outcomes in an event

Stay informed

Your Local City Council Emergency Dashboards are a one-stop shop and source of truth that will connect you to the emergency management services, road closures, traffic access etc.  It's helpful to bookmark these on your computer. 

• Hawkesbury City Council
• Penrith City Council
• Lithgow City Council
• Blue Mountains City Council

For up-to-date information on your mobile, install the Hazards Near Me, Emergency Plus and BOM Weather Apps. Track the most up to date warnings:

• SES Warnings 
• RFS Fires Near Me
• BOM Warnings

For regular updates from NBMPHN, register for our News Updates to receive disaster updates. 

Understanding warnings
Visit the NSW SES warning page to understand what different warning levels mean, from staying informed (Advice), to preparing to act (Watch and Act), to taking immediate action (Emergency Warning).