NEW Medical and Financial Binders launched in January 2018. The Harvey fundraiser is closed.
On the podcast this week, I talk to Betsy Furler and Ryan Lanier.
First, I talk to Betsy about her Hurricane Harvey experience and how to prepare for an emergency.
Unfortunately, emergencies can and will happen to us all. I recorded this podcast episode before Hurricane Irma. Little did we know that another terrifying emergency situation was going to strike so soon after Harvey. My thoughts and prayers go to everyone affected by both Irma and Harvey.
It’s really important to understand the actionable steps that we should take if found in an emergency situation, something that can happen to any of us at some point.
On the podcast, Betsy talks us through her storm story.
Betsy is a speech pathologist, she runs a speech therapy agency, she’s the CEO of Communication Circles, and is an expert on the use of technology to change the lives of people with disabilities. Betsy wrote the last third of my How ADHD Affects Home Organization book!
Betsy lives in Houston, Texas with her husband and son, Henry. Henry has a neurometabolic disorder, severe epilepsy, and severe dysautonomia. And, as a result, he is very dependent on medication.
Betsy’s Storm Story
Her son, Henry, had surgery the Thursday before Harvey struck. Luckily, he was discharged on Friday. If he had not been discharged, then it was highly likely he would not have made it home due to flooding in the area.
On the Friday that Henry was discharged, with Hurricane Harvey fast approaching, Betsy realized that they were low on supplies for Henry’s emergency seizure medication (his rescue medication). She walked over to his neurologist’s office hoping it would be sorted out fairly smoothly. Well, let’s just say that Betsy did not have quick success at all. In fact, it was an extremely challenging, stressful, and drawn-out process. It culminated in Betsy finding the neurologist’s email address on Google and emailing him at home. She even considered going over to his house at one point!! It was a desperate situation.
I can relate to Betsy’s situation because there have been three times in my life when I’ve been in an emergency situation and had issues with getting medication for my children.
If you have medical needs, or you are the parent or caretaker of someone who does, then it’s really important to factor medical preparation into your overall emergency preparation plan.
Fortunately, Betsy’s house narrowly missed getting destroyed during Harvey. She has a lot of experience in preparing for emergencies and shared her key tips.
Preparing For An Emergency
- Have all of your identification documents together in a zip-lock bag
- Prepare dry bags
- 3-5 days of medication
- Clothes
- Pet food
- Prepare your house
- Take everything off the floor (watch that you have no shoes on the floor)
- Put blocks under the furniture
- Have all of your paperwork in one place, preferably in a Sunday Basket® (keep it really high or take it with you if you leave)
- Have food and water supplies, including any special food that you require (i.e., if you have allergies, special dietary requirements, etc.)
- Put a lot of your belongings in the attic
- Make sure you have shoes to wear, keeping in mind that the shoes you wear will likely be ruined if there’s a flood
- Prepare your attic if you are facing a flood situation (i.e., toilet paper, paper towels, medication, food, water, something to enable you to break through the roof of the house in case that is your only way out, etc.)
- Unplug everything in the house to reduce the risk of fire
If you experience flooding in your house, after the flood you should:
- Act quickly to remove your most important items
- Get your carpet and drywall out ASAP
- Get all belongings out, clean and dry everything before packing it
Clothing can be saved by washing it very quickly. There are remedies for preventing/treating mold, but you must act quickly
Betsy has just launched a Kindle book called Talking with Tech: Solutions for Children and Adults who are non-verbal. Her Twitter handle is @betsyfurler and she is also on LinkedIn.
Organize 365 And The Avondale House School
I decided that I wanted to do something to help those affected by Hurricane Harvey. After much consideration about what to do, I decided to help the Avondale House School.
Avondale House is a school in Houston specifically for kids with autism. The children who go to Avondale House are unable to go to their local public school so the public school pays for them to travel to Avondale House.
It is an amazing place and does such a great job serving autistic children.
Introducing Ryan Lanier
Second, on the podcast, I speak with Ryan Lanier. Ryan has been going through a mentorship with me as a professional organizer. She is also a Certified Sunday Basket® Workshop Organizer.
She teaches people how to create a Sunday Basket® in person in her local community which is Austin, Texas. Ryan explains how her first Sunday Basket® Workshop is 90 minutes and costs $30. It includes 5 slash pockets and the focus is on daily paperwork.
Afterward, Ryan holds ongoing paper organizing workshops that are $30 and last 3 hours. In these workshops, she moves onto paper that we archive, shreds, recycle, and put into binders.
If you decided to purchase my medical organizer and financial organizer, you may consider attending a Sunday Basket® Workshop to help get EVERYTHING in order!
Ryan’s business is called Organizing For Good and she can also be found on LinkedIn.
I hope you are reading this in a house with electricity, running water, and a working sewage system. I am still praying for those of you who are not. 🙁
In a disaster, having organized paperwork and an organized house can make the situation somewhat easier.
Read more about the Avondale House School
