The Naples and Fort Myers areas of Florida were recently reminded of the harsh realities of how weather can affect our retirement. Hurricane Ian was undoubtedly one of the biggest natural disasters our retired elderly residents endured.
Conventional wisdom tells us to assess the risk of our future financial and medical needs when deciding where to retire. But what about the hidden risks of the weather in the places we choose to retire and live out our days? They are seldom thought about in advance but often the very risks that come to bare. A natural disaster is one of them.
Financial Planning for the Weather
Seniors who choose Florida as their retirement destination need to consider the financial risks of living in a hurricane prone region. For example, temporary relocation costs, transportation, hotel, home rental, etc., resulting from a hurricane evacuation order can amount to considerable expense that far exceeds a typical rainy day fund. Increases, sometimes significant ones, in property insurance premiums is a common after effect of a natural disaster, like Hurricane Ian, but most retirees do not plan for these extraordinary increases in their daily living budget or emergency fund.
Community’s Emergency Readiness
Seniors have a unique set of needs and that is why retirement communities and assisted living facilities exist. They will also require a different kind of attention and help when nature strikes and causes significant disruption to the services that support seniors. Seniors typically choose a retirement destination based on affordability, amenities and health care. But rarely is that community’s ability to respond to natural disasters a consideration factor. “Elderly should absolutely understand how their potential new community is response-ready for a catastrophic event like Hurricane Ian”, says Tracy Brady, Executive Director at BrightStar Naples and Fort Myers. “They should especially understand if the local first responders and municipal services have systems in place to handle the mobility, cognitive impairment and medical conditions of seniors in the area.”During Hurricane Ian, BrightStar Care of Naples and Fort Myers set up shop in a local hotel as a stand-by operation. “Our elderly clients need BrightStar Care services to continue even when a hurricane abruptly stops everything else in its path”, Ms. Brady said. “We want to be at the ready and have the ability to provide uninterrupted care regardless of the severity of a natural occurrence.”