Workshop in Sonoma aims to prepare seniors for future disasters

As the October wildfires blazed across Northern California, one group of residents more than any other were overtaken by the flames.

Of the more than 40 deaths in the North Bay fires, 28 were people over age 65.

Many died inside or near their homes, caught in their attempt to flee fires that raced across the region in the middle of the night.

For local elder-care advocates, the toll on seniors was not a surprise.

In natural disasters, older adults are often challenged by immobility, hearing loss, and in the case of wildfires, an inability to smell the accumulating smoke, said Renee Tolliver, director of social services at the Santa Rosa-based Council on Aging. Cognitive decline, which is often worst at night for seniors, also can be a factor, she said.

“There just wasn’t time, in many cases,” for many to reach safety or gather their essential belongings, said Tolliver.

On Friday afternoon, a workshop at Vintage House Senior Center in Sonoma will address disaster preparedness for older adults, with a focus on what they can do now to plan for future emergencies. At least ?600 people have signed up to attend, according to organizers.

“People learned from the fires that there is a larger community of caring than they realized,” said Kelsey Maddox, Vintage House program and services manager. “We do live in this exceptionally caring community of people looking out for each other. It reinforced the best of all of us as individuals.”

While emergency preparedness guides and gifts will be distributed, Maddox said community-building and emotional support will also be stressed as important elements for seniors to keep in mind during disasters.

“As people age there’s a

tremendous fear of being left behind and being marginalized,” said Tolliver.

The fires were “particularly stressful on seniors,” she noted. In Sonoma Valley alone, nine emotional support groups for seniors formed after the October fires.

Listening for a Change, a Santa Rosa-based organization, on Friday will show a series of short videos of people sharing their stories of how the wildfires impacted their lives, and seniors will be encouraged to share their stories, too.

“It’s sort of a drop-in support group. We want it to be informative but we also want people to just be with each other,” Maddox said.

Close relationships with neighbors, friends and family can save elderly residents’ lives in an emergency situation, advocates said. Those bonds can assure there’s a phone call, a knock on the door, or a helping hand getting out of the house and to safety - and such cases were also evident during the fires.

Supplies to help residents organize their must-have belongings, including medication and key paperwork, will be distributed at the event. Free bags with light sticks, blankets, rain ponchos, whistles, flashlights and other emergency items will also be on hand.

“We’ve said since Day One after the North Bay fires that we wanted to be there to support the community through the long-term recovery and rebuilding process,” said Danielle Cagan, external affairs executive for CSAA Insurance Group, an AAA insurer that donated ?1,000 emergency bags for the event. “This is one example of how we can do that, while helping people be prepared for whatever the next emergency might be.”

For Friday’s event, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., seniors can park at the end of First Street East, where ?200 spots are available. A shuttle will take people from the parking lot to Vintage House. Volunteers will help passengers get on and off the shuttle.

Maddox recommends seniors who haven’t signed up ahead of time to arrive about 2 p.m., after the opening round of introductions.

Agencies and sponsors for the event include the Council on Aging, Sonoma Valley Hospital, Sonoma Community Health Clinic, Sunrise Villa, Hired Hands Homecare, Tweeten Eldercare Advisors, Sonoma Hills Retirement Living and the North Bay Fire Relief Fund - a partnership between The Press Democrat, state Sen. Mike McGuire and the Redwood Credit Union.

You can reach Staff Writer Susan Minichiello at 707-521-5216 or susan.minichiello@pressdemocrat.com.