← Practical Prepping Podcast
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- [00:01]
A
One of the ladies in the Practical Prepping private Facebook group brought up something that we don't talk about. Enough prepping for seniors and how our prepping needs to change as we get older.
- [00:13]
B
Oh, sure, you might be 70 years old and still bench pressing 200 pounds, but most of us in that age category are not. You might be 75 years old and jogging three miles a day, but most of us at that age can. You can't do that either.
- [00:28]
A
If we're blessed to live long enough, we're going to grow old. And with age can come less strength, less mobility, and sometimes even less mental bandwidth, especially under stress.
- [00:41]
B
So the question isn't can I still do it? The question is, can I do this on my worst day? Injured, tired or stressed. When our bodies change, our plans need to change too. And the good news is you don't need extreme fitness to be ready. You just need a realistic plan that fits the life you're actually living.
- [01:03]
A
On today's episode, we're talking about prepping for the inevitable. How to prepare as you get older.
- [01:20]
B
Welcome to Practical prepping. Today is December 29, 2025, and this is episode 537. This is the prepping podcast with no bunkers, no zombies, and no alien invasions. Just practical prepping where we teach everyday people how to prepare for life's emergencies, disasters and crises. And we're here to help you get prepared. I'm Krista.
- [01:48]
A
And I'm Mark. And if you'd like the expanded notes for this episode, go to practicalprepping.info 537. This episode is sponsored by our book the 31 Day Devotional for a Biblical View of Preparedness Physically and spiritually. It also addresses how the Bible teaches us to be prepping. It would make a perfect gift for family members that are resistant to prepping. You can find the 31 day devotional for preppers and our other books on Amazon or on our website@practicalprepping.info books.
- [02:28]
B
Now, when we're talking about prepping as we get older, everything needs to go through this filter. Can I do this? Injured, tired or stressed.
- [02:37]
A
And sometimes that means we modify our plans or our gear for low strength, low stamina days, not just the good days. We need to be more conservative with our risk. We're not as young as we once were too, right? Yeah, very much so. We want to make sure we're not making any hero moves.
- [02:58]
B
So we need a mindset shift. And as your independence shifts, people become the prep. Planning for help is part of Preparedness So you may need a list of resources or persons you can call.
- [03:10]
A
We want to definitely make everything lighter and easier to move. A good example is water. Maybe we downsize our containers.
- [03:20]
B
Makes sense.
- [03:21]
A
Instead of carrying five to seven gallon jugs, maybe we go to a two and a half gallon container that we can actually lift as we get older.
- [03:30]
B
Or even a one gallon container. I mean because one gallon of water weighs 8.3 pounds. So a five gallon jug, you know, you're in excess of 40 pounds. And that might not sound like a lot to some people. I guarantee you when you're in your 70s and 80s, picking up 40 pounds. Deadlift is tough.
- [03:48]
A
It can be. But we also need to look at our bags and our transport.
- [03:52]
B
Good call.
- [03:53]
A
We need to favor wheeled carts or dollies rolling totes over duffels.
- [04:00]
B
I like it.
- [04:00]
A
Need a lightweight go bag. What we want to do is aim for carryable, not fully stocked.
- [04:07]
B
Now that makes a lot of sense. And you also want to set up your house and your placement. In other words, reducing stair movement and reduce the reaching that you'd have to do. For example, go with aging friendly prepping. And that's about placement. Where are you putting the goods and resources that you need to put your hands on? So you want to keep your essentials on the main living level. Your water, your meds, your food, your headlamps, your shoes, your documents. Store heavier items at a more of a waist high type of a height. Not all the way on the floor and not up over your head on high shelves. And you need what we call bedside readiness. You need your shoes and a headlamp by your bed in case there's a power outage and you need to be moving around in the dark of night.
- [04:53]
A
You want to look at tools that are arthritis and low grip friendly.
- [04:58]
B
That's what I need.
- [04:59]
A
Choose tools that work with those arthritic hands. If you don't yet have it, it's coming. Yeah, I can feel it already. And I mean it's not life changing for me, but it very well could be sometime down the Maybe you want to look at big switches, easy to grip handles, simple latches. Have you tried as an older person to get into a childproof cabinet?
- [05:26]
B
Yeah, you kind of need a 4 year old around to help you get in there. Yes, they can do it.
- [05:30]
A
And have a jar opener. We have one mounted under the cabinet over the coffee pot. And when I have a jar that I can't open, then I just stick it in there and it's an easy twist. They make Them that are mountable, they make them that are handheld. But it's good to have one of those and practice with your real limitations. Set up your stove, your generator and your battery. Set up lifting things, loading the car, using carts and totes. Practice with the limitations that you have with an eye toward the future. How much harder will this be for me five or ten years from now?
- [06:12]
B
Yeah, very good. And also think about the medical and the health aspect. This is a very critical category. You want to do some planning where your medication is concerned. So do keep a current list of your medications and your prescriptions, anything prescribed or anything that you're taking over the counter or supplements or natural herbal type medicines. Keep that list handy and keep a supply of your critical meds. Now here's what we mean by that. Work with your doctor. Ask them if you can have a three month supply if possible. Don't skip any doses in an effort to stock up because that's actually hurting your health. Also plan for your pharmacy and your insurance timing. Think of the refill cadence planning, not necessarily hoarding medications, but know when that refill is going to come due and have that on your calendar so that you can see it.
- [07:01]
A
One of the things that I have found is that my medications I can generally refer refill them a week to 10 days ahead of the schedule. I put that on my calendar and next time I do it a week to 10 days ahead. And just simply by doing that I've built up a stock of some of those medications.
- [07:24]
B
Oh, I see what you're saying. Also here's a thought. There are some of us that are on refrigerated meds, so you want to have some sort of a cooler and a thermometer and a backup power plant just in case you run into a prolonged power outage with where your refrigeration is going to fail on you. So do give that some thought.
- [07:40]
A
How about planning for medical equipment power backup?
- [07:43]
B
Yeah, that's something we've had to talk about.
- [07:45]
A
Battery backup or a solar generator. Know the expected runtime of those devices. Decide ahead of time what gets priority in this house. Krista's highest priority is my cpap. She, she would give up on water. Yeah, she would give up the freez over the CPAP because insurance would replace the things in the freezer. But she's not going to sleep if my CPAP is not in operation.
- [08:19]
B
And he will sleep because he can snore like a lumberjack and it won't wake him up.
- [08:23]
A
Yeah, neighbors complain. Think about some spares. And repairs. You need some spares, like for the CPAP mass, the tubing, glucose strips, the stylus for pricking your finger. If you're having to test your blood sugar, stock up on some of those inhalers.
- [08:43]
B
Yes.
- [08:44]
A
Extra glasses and contacts, hearing aid batteries or a charger, hearing aid domes and filters and denture supplies. Very important thing to have there. But also have a medical grab, pouch, grab and go. It's medications plus the copy of key documents. And here's a key, a list of conditions that's kept updated.
- [09:13]
B
Okay.
- [09:13]
A
Now, I went to the doctor recently and sitting there with the nurse, she said, has your medication changed? And I said, no, not really. Nothing's really changed. And she started going down the list of medications and I realized there were about four of those medications that I've been on in the past that were on her list that I'm not taking now. So it's good to have that updated list. If you wind up having to go into an emergency room or a quick care clinic, you can hand them that list. And you're not trying to remember those things. You can hand them a list of conditions that you may have. So think about that.
- [09:57]
B
And allergies as well.
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A
And allergies. Think about mobility supports. Do you use a walker or a cane? Keep these accessible and I would say have an extra.
- [10:08]
B
Yes, we actually have a variety between your parents and my parents and then our own needs. We have a variety of walking canes in this house and then we have our own favorites that we use from time to time as well.
- [10:20]
A
But keep those accessible and build your plans around your real pace.
- [10:26]
B
Yes.
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A
And your need for rest.
- [10:28]
B
And it seems to increase the older you get.
- [10:31]
A
The older you get, the slower the pace and the more the need for rest.
- [10:36]
B
You want to think about injury prevention and any kind of planning for what we call minor problems. You know, in a disaster setting, a small injury can become big. So upgrade first aid for things like a fall, a cut, a burn or infections that may come from that and learn how to use that first aid. And also think about some home safety upgrades that can really make a difference. For example, grab bars in the tub or shower or around the commode, some non slip surfaces or mats, rugs that are secured. Clear the pathways. Make sure that hallways and pathways and walkways are not obstructed by any kind of items, plants, grasses, weeds, cracked sidewalks, things like that. Make sure that there's a clear pathway. You might also want to look at your exterior lighting needs. You know, go out in the dark of night we actually have a, an automatic light that comes on in our carport. So the moment we step out onto our steps to come outside, that floodlight automatically comes on. So we have full vision everywhere. And that's very important. And so think also about night lights for any kind of power outages. There are some pluggable night lights that will come on even if you don't have power going to that outlet.
- [11:56]
A
And they come on when the power goes off.
- [11:59]
B
Yes, precisely. So you can see when you're walking.
- [12:01]
A
And it's a great thing. A friend of mine has motion sensitive night lights and he gets up in the middle of the night and you have to go check the wallpaper in the bathroom, of course. So he said he doesn't have to turn any lights on because as he walks into the hall, the light comes on. As he walks into the bathroom, the light comes on and it's all plug in motion sensitive night light.
- [12:26]
B
Oh, that's very clever.
- [12:27]
A
Now there's some environmental considerations that we need to take. Older adults are more often vulnerable to temperature extremes.
- [12:36]
B
Oh, that's absolutely true.
- [12:37]
A
You need a heat plan. You may need to adjust outdoor times or utilize shade or utilize battery fans. There are cooling towels and cloths and I love these things. I have several. When I'm going to be working outside, I just wet them, wring them out, string them around my neck. I even have a cap that I do that from mission, that I wet it, wring it out, put it on, and that is evaporative cooling. That helps keep me cooler when I'm outside because I'm very heat sensitive, personally. Yeah, but keep in mind those electrolytes and that hydration you want to be drinking plenty of water if you're outside, plan on that. Have some of the little hydration packets to pour into the water. Not only does it make it taste better, but it also provides those electrolytes for.
- [13:31]
B
You also have a cold plan. You know, you were talking about a hot weather plan, cold weather plan, just as critical. So you want to dress in layers. They've proven that that keeps you warmer than one big thick coat. You want a warm sleep system. You want some kind of situation, maybe an electric blanket on your bed or multiple blankets on your bed and minimize the exposure to the cold. Keep this in mind that some of the medications you take can make you more sensitive to the heat or the cold. I know that years ago I was on a medication that made sunlight on my skin very sensitive. It would create almost a rash and it was because it was coming from the prescription. So plan around the things that may affect you depending on the temperature and the type of medications that you're taking.
- [14:20]
A
Now, today's cup of coffee comes from Tony.
- [14:23]
B
Thanks, Tony.
- [14:24]
A
Tony is a longtime supporter of the podcast. And Tony, we really do appreciate your continued support. Now, if you receive value from the podcast, would you help us by giving back a little? You can go to practicalprepping.info support and there you'll find other ways that you can support the show, including a coffee membership like Tony does.
- [14:49]
B
Super.
- [14:49]
A
Now that's only $5 a month, but it really helps us offset the expenses of the show.
- [14:56]
B
Okay, let's get back to the show. Let's talk about some evacuation realities. You may be limited on transportation. It may not be safe or even possible for you to drive because of either poor visibility, either at night or because of weather conditions or the fact that it might be long distances. So you may have to prearrange rides with other people and the triggers that would tell you that it's time to leave early.
- [15:20]
A
Plan help for heavy and unsafe tasks. Don't assume you'll be able to do it alone. Plan who does what when you can't. Maybe it's a roof leak repair, Maybe it's putting tarps on the roof. Maybe it's chainsaw work. Maybe it's debris removal. I'm still pretty good with a chainsaw. Fair with debris removal, but the day will come when that will get passed down to grandsons. Keep a call list of those helpers and keep a list of contractors. We have a contractor that we could call and have here the next day. He's done work for us before. We trust him and we have him in our phones ready to go if we were to need that.
- [16:06]
B
Also, think about your food and your overall diet plan. You want to plan around your real dietary needs. Are you diabetic? Are you on a low sodium diet? Are you on a gluten free diet? Do you have to take care of a renal type of diet? You want to choose foods that are easy chew and easy to open and in some cases non perishable. Just kind of plan ahead for what's going to be the easier way for you to stay fully nourished and hydrated.
- [16:33]
A
And that may not be MREs, right?
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B
Right.
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A
They're going to be high sodium, high caloric. Look at those types of things in your planning. Now let's look at the human side for a minute. Cognition, isolation and caregiving.
- [16:49]
B
That's very important.
- [16:50]
A
Cognitive stress can create Decision fatigue.
- [16:55]
B
I have experienced that already in my life.
- [16:58]
A
It really happens to all of us when we're in a high stress situation and we have to make decisions.
- [17:05]
B
You almost become paralyzed.
- [17:06]
A
Yeah, I've seen that actually happen. So you want to simplify some things. You want to label bins where you have things stored so you're not having to look through various bins to find what you want. Maybe some one page checklist.
- [17:23]
B
Yeah, the simpler the better.
- [17:24]
A
Checklists keep you from having to make decisions.
- [17:28]
B
Right. It kind of gets your brain out on paper and you can actually see and deal with all of these decisions much more clearly.
- [17:36]
A
I have a checklist for the podcast for every single step that I have to take in getting this podcast to you. There's a checklist there so that I can check off what I have done. Social isolation. Some folks have thin support networks and those support networks get thinner the older we get sometimes.
- [17:59]
B
Yeah.
- [18:00]
A
Need a formal check in system. Need to identify someone who will physically verify that you're okay. Now this could be very, very simple, but you need somebody that knows that you're okay. Today there were two ladies that lived across the street from each other. They had this system set up. If you don't see my blind raised for by 8 o', clock, call somebody. So they would look out their windows and they would check on each other. Okay, her blind is up, she's okay. And so it was a system that they had in place that they could keep a check on each other every day. And if that blind didn't go down in the late afternoon, they knew to call.
- [18:46]
B
Okay.
- [18:47]
A
Because something may have happened during the day.
- [18:50]
B
Interesting.
- [18:51]
A
Now there's caregiving responsibilities. If you're having to care for a special needs child, you're having to care for a parent, you're having to care for a spouse in a compromise friend or a family member, anything that you're the primary caregiver. Remember that your plan has to cover two people.
- [19:14]
B
Two people.
- [19:15]
A
It has to cover you and that person.
- [19:18]
B
Very good.
- [19:19]
A
So not only do you need to plan their meds, you need to plan your meds, you need to plan those mobility devices and you need to look at the evacuation pace. If you had to move that person, get them out. If they're on a walker, it's going to take longer. If their mobility challenged and they're going to have to go down steps, it's going to take longer. Put those things in your thinking as you make your plan.
- [19:48]
B
Let's talk about some legal and some medical directives. We're talking about paperwork that removes friction. We're talking about your will, your advanced medical directive, a dnr, a power of attorney, power of medical attorney, emergency contacts, kind of. Those types of things do need some attention. So definitely keep some copies accessible and shareable in paper form and digital if possible. Possible.
- [20:14]
A
We appreciate you being here today, and we want to wish you a very Happy New Year.
- [20:20]
B
2026. Can you believe it?
- [20:22]
A
I can't believe it. It ought to be about 1995. But anyway, it's 2026 here in, what, two days? So. But we wish you a very happy New Year, and we do appreciate your support and we appreciate you listening to the podcast. And as Krista always says, stuff happens. Stay prepared and we'll see you next time.