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When I lived in Florida, I had a neighbor named Ms. Carmen. She was in her late 70s, fiercely independent, and lived alone with her two dogs and one cat, which were her closest companions. Each hurricane season, she would anxiously ask if I would check on her when the winds began to pick up. She once told me: “Im more afraid of being forgotten than of the storm itself.” Her fear wasnt just about the weather; it was about facing it alone. When hurricanes hit, we often measure the damage in downed power lines, flooded roads, and wind-torn homes. But some of the most serious consequences are harder to see, especially for older adults who may struggle with mobility, chronic health problems, and cognitive decline. Emergency preparedness plans too often overlook the specific needs of elders in Americas aging population, many of whom live alone. For people like Ms. Carmen, resilience needs to start long before the storm. The number of older adults in the U.S. and the percentage of the population age 65 and older have been rising. [Image: US Census Bureau] I study disaster preparations and response. To prepare for hurricane season, and any other disaster, I encourage families to work with their older adults now to create an emergency plan. Preparing can help ensure that older adults will be safe and able to contact relatives or others for help, and will have the medications, documents and supplies they need, as well as the peace of mind of knowing what steps to take. Recent hurricanes show the gaps In 2024, Hurricanes Helene and Milton put a spotlight on the risks to older adults. The storms forced thousands of people to evacuate, often to shelters with little more than food supplies and mattresses on the floor, and ill-equipped for medical needs. Flooding isolated many rural homes, stranding older adults. Power was out for weeks in some areas. Emergency systems were overwhelmed. A tornado tore into a senior community in Port St. Lucie, Florida, during Milton, killing six people. Some long-term care facilities lost power and water during Helene. At the same time, some older adults chose to stay in homes in harms way for fear that they would be separated from their pets or that their homes would be vandalized. These events are not just tragic; they are predictable. Many older adults cannot evacuate without assistance, and many evacuation centers arent prepared to handle their needs. How to prepare: 5 key steps Helping older adults prepare for emergencies should involve the entire family so everyone knows what to expect. The best plans are personal, practical, and proactive, but they will contain some common elements. Here are five important steps: 1. Prepare an emergency folder with important documents. Disasters can leave older adults without essential information and supplies that they need, such as prescription lists, financial records, medical devices andimportantlycontact information to reach family, friends, and neighbors who could help them. Many older adults rely on preprogrammed phone numbers. If their phone is lost or the battery dies, they may not know how to reach friends or loved ones, so its useful to have a hard copy of phone numbers. Consider encouraging the use of medical ID bracelets or cards for those with memory loss. Hurricane season begins June 1. Dont wait until its too late.To prepare ahead you can develop an evacuation plan, assemble a disaster supply kit, create a communications plan and more.For more hurricane preparedness tips, visit: https://t.co/gG4ogHLnOg pic.twitter.com/Wukb1C1CUt— Polk Emergency Mgmt (@polkemergency) May 6, 2025 Critical documents like wills, home deeds, powers of attorney, and insurance records are frequently kept in physical form and may be forgotten or lost in a sudden evacuation. Use waterproof storage thats easy to carry, and share copies with trusted caregivers and family members in case those documents are lost. 2. Have backup medications and equipment. Think about that persons assistive devices and health needs. Having extra batteries on hand is important, as is remembering to bring chargers and personal mobility aids, such as walkers, canes, mobility scooters, or wheelchairs. Do not forget that service animals support mobility, so having supplies of their food will be important during a hurricane or evacuation. Ask doctors to provide an emergency set of medications in case supplies run low in a disaster. If the person is staying in their home, prepare for at least 72 hours of self-sufficiency in case the power goes out. That means having enough bottled water, extra pet food, and human food that doesnt need refrigeration or cooking. 3. Map evacuation routes and shelter options. Identify nearby shelters that will likely be able to support older adults mobility and cognitive challenges. If the person has pets, make a plan for them, toomany areas will have at least one pet-friendly shelter, but not all shelters will take pets. Figure out how the person will get to a shelter, and have a backup plan in case their usual transportation isnt an option. And decide where they will go and how they will get there if they cant return home after a storm. If your loved one lives in a care facility, ask to see that facilitys hurricane plan. 4. Create a multiperson check-in system. Dont rely on just one caregiver or family member to check on older adults. Involve neighbors, faith communities, or local services such as home-delivered meals, transportation assistance, support groups, and senior centers. Redundancy is crucial when systems break down. 5. Practice the plan. Go through evacuation steps in advance so everyone knows what to do. Executing the plan should be second nature, not a scramble during a disaster or crisis. Planning with, not just for, older adults Emergency planning isnt something done for older adultsits something done with them. Elders bring not only vulnerability but also wisdom. Their preferences and autonomy will have to guide decisions for the plan to be successful in a crisis. That means listening to their needs, honoring their independence, and making sure caregivers have realistic plans in place. Its an important shift from just reacting to a storm to preparing with purpose. Lee Ann Rawlins Williams is a clinical assistant professor of education, health and behavior studies at the University of North Dakota. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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E-Commerce
Americans often receive a lot of grief for being less internationally traveled than citizens of other countries. But in recent years, more Americans are traveling abroad than ever before. Numbers compiled by the digital magazine Travel and Tour World (TTW) show that in March 2025, 6.56 million Americans flew outside of the country. Thats 1.6% more than the same period a year earlier, and more than 22% more than in 2019the year before the pandemic caused international travel to grind to a halt. TTW cites pent-up demand, strong personal savings among affluent demographics, and a growing appetite for immersive cultural experiences as the main reasons more Americans are traveling overseas. And those numbers from March will likely increase this month as the school season ends and Americans start heading out on summer vacations, especially since ticket prices have been dropping lately as airlines lower their fares to entice inflation-wary consumers to travel. But if it’s your first time traveling internationally, you may not be aware that the reigning transportation and mapping app kings in the United States, Google Maps and Apple Maps, arent always the best to use in other countries. There are others that will enable you to navigate new lands more easily, especially the abundant public transportation options that most other countries offer. With that in mind, here are some apps to download before you head out on your global travels. Citymapper Citymapper is probably the most recognizable app on this list, and thats because it does one thing better than nearly any other app: It helps you navigate some of the worlds best cities, whether that be by foot, car, bicycle, scooter, tram, ferry, or other city-specific modes of transitway more modes than Apple or Google offers in most locales. Citymapper is already pretty popular in America because it helps residents and visitors in big cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., get around. However, while the app supports just 28 cities in America, it supports 72 in Europe, along with prominent Asian destinations, including Tokyo, Seoul, and Hong Kong. Moovit If you need public transit directions in America or most major European cities, Google Maps or Apple Maps can do a decent job of getting you from point A to point B. But if you are in less frequently traveled countries of the world, you’ll find that Google Maps and Apple Maps dont always reveal all the public transportation options that are available when trying to get across a cityor from city to city. Thankfully, theres Moovit, which boasts public transit directions for more than 112 countries and 3,400 cities across the globeincluding many in the Global South, which many transit apps frequently overlook. If you are traveling in Eastern Europe, South America, Africa, or large parts of Asia, Moovit will likely show you the most public transportation options available. Another great thing about the app is that it lets you download a citys transit maps for offline viewing. Naver Map Few countries have a geopolitical postwar history that’s as fascinating as South Korea. The country, which is still technically at war with North Korea, rapidly industrialized after the 1960s to become one of the worlds most economically and technologically advanced nations. If you plan to visit South Korea, be sure to download Naver Map before you go. Naver Map is the Google Maps of South Korea, and it features nearly everything you would expect to find in Google Maps, including transportation directions and business listings. You can still use Google Maps or Apple Maps in South Korea, but their real-time transportation direction capabilities are significantly nerfed. Thats because South Korean law requires mapping providers to store their mapping data within the countrysomething neither Google nor Apple does. And yes, while Naver Map is predominantly used by locals, the smartphone app is also available in English, making it a must-have for American visitors. Rome2Rio The apps above are mostly very city- or country-specific. But what if you are going on a multination journeysay from Portugal to Finlandand stopping at multiple cities on the way? There is probably no better app that helps you get from one country to another than Rome2Rio. Fast Company has previously spotlighted the platformwhich is basically like a Google Maps for major modes of travel between any two points on the planetbut it’s worth mentioning here again because it is so useful (and the smartphone app is great). Rome2Rio will show you how to navigate between two placesno matter if by car, train, bus, plane, or ferryand show you how much it is likely to cost based on your selected mode of transport. Transit Finally, it’s worth mentioning that one of the easiest transportation apps to use is Transit, thanks to its excellent user interface, which makes following step-by-step transit directions a cinch. As soon as you open the app, youll instantly see the public transport options closest to youno searching required. It also displays route options in a color-coded bar chart format, letting you choose the best one for you at a glance. Transit is currently available in 25 countries and over 870 cities. The majority of those cities are in the United States, Canada, and France, but the app also supports major cities in popular destinations for U.S. tourists, including the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and other select global cities.
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E-Commerce
Paula Davis is the founder and CEO of the Stress & Resilience Institute. She is a globally recognized expert and adviser regarding burnout prevention at work and building resilient teams. Previously, she practiced law, and then during her postgraduate training for her psychology masters degree, she was selected to be part of the University of Pennsylvanias faculty teaching resilience skills to soldiers for the Armys Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness program. Whats the big idea? To increase well-being, motivation, engagement, resilience, or the many words that describe thriving teams, we must understand that leadership behaviors drive employee experience. Leaders can control the conditions that allow for sustainable high performance. We need to advance the conversation beyond individual remedies for burnout and address root causes of stress and disengagement. Below, Paula shares five key insights from her new book, Lead Well: 5 Mindsets to Engage, Retain, and Inspire Your Team. Listen to the audio versionread by Paula herselfin the Next Big Idea App. 1. Activate sticky recognition When people are keenly aware of their impact at work, it ignites a powerful psychological fuel. Sticky recognition is a way for leaders to show an individual or team their impact, as well as awaken something even deeper: a sense of mattering. Its a fundamental human need to know that we matter. Mattering emerges from a combination of achieving goals that are personally important and being noticed or recognized for that work. There are two tiny noticeable things (TNTs) that can activate sticky recognition. The first is saying a thank you, plus a little bit of extra added to it. That extra piece is the why. Instead of only saying thank you to someone, you can say to them, Thank you. The way you summarized those reports helped me see the key takeaways and I was able to have a much clearer conversation with the CEO because of it. That little extra piece sticks or resonates beyond the thank you. The second TNT that activates sticky recognition is calling out peoples strengths. For instance, I was leaving a restaurant with a friend when I noticed a different friend walking down the sidewalk. I hadnt seen her in a long time, so I ran up to her and gave her the biggest hug, saying, Sandra, its so great to see you. When I got in the car, the friend I had gone to dinner with said, I really like the way your face lights up when you see your friends. Being complimented on that kindness in me was very powerful. 2. Amplify A, B, C needs A stands for autonomy, B stands for belonging, and C stands for challenge. This trio forms the basis for several well-being models. There are several TNTs that can expand the A, B, C needs of your team. For autonomy, we oftentimes think solely about where people work and when people work, but I want you to think about how you can give people more decision-making authority. Can you allow them to be more creative? Can you allow them to take more control? Being able to expand autonomy is great. A TNT for autonomy is setting context for rules and goals. Give the rationale, the backstory that explains why a change is happening or why they are assigned a particular project. Or tell a little bit more about the story of a client the company is working with. This trio forms the basis for several wellbeing models. Belonging comes next. A sense of connection is important and needs to be fostered more intentionally in hybrid or remote work models. One of the TNTs that amplify connection is scheduling unstructured time with someone, just 10 or 15 minutes every couple of weeks, to ask whats on their mind. Or, a much more powerful question would be, What has your attention right now? Over time, this inquiry allows leaders to understand their team in a deeper way. People want to feel a sense of opportunity and growth from their workthey want the right challenge. If they dont see a clear path for that, they will not hesitate to leave the organization. A TNT for this is helping them seek mastery experiences. Help them understand or get to know different skills that they might want to consider developing to reach their goals. Then, suggest opportunities that allow them to pursue those skills. If someone says they want to get better at public speaking, maybe you can offer that they can lead a team meeting or present at a conference. 3. Build workload sustainability There are a lot of things within leaders control that can make workloads sustainable. It comes down to two things: establishing teaming practices and recovery practices. A TNT for teaming practices is conducting a meetings audit. Take a step back and look at how many meetings you take part in. How many meetings are people on your team involved with? Are all those meetings necessary? Is there another way that information can be communicated? Can meetings be shorter? Can you add an agenda so that there is structure and clarity? 4. Design systemic stress resilience Resilience is one of the most misunderstood words in our world of work. Basically, resilience is meant to help people develop their capacity to manage challenges, problems, failure, setbacks, and grow from those obstacles. Resilience lives at the individual level, team level, and organizational level. Resilient teams show four big capacities: Team efficacy. They have a lot of collective confidence in their ability to achieve goals and manage challenges. Clear roles and responsibilities. Clarity increases autonomy. Improvisation. If they encounter a challenge, theyre able to chat, pivot, and proceed with a new game plan. Psychological safety. This allows for cohesion, trust, and the ability to discuss failure when things dont go right. A TNT for expanding your teams resilience is to debrief together after micro-challenges. Dont wait for the big project to finish. Whenever your team encounters a minor stumble, use that as an opportunity to come together and talk. 5. Promote values, alignment, and meaning Values misalignment is one of the six drivers of burnout. Values need to be lived. People want to see their leaders walking the talk. Research shows that there are six ways that leaders can build a sense of values, alignment, and meaning at work: Communicate the works bigger impact. Recognize and nurture potential. Foster personal connections. Discuss values and purpose during hiring and onboarding. Model values-based behavior. Give employees autonomy. Youll notice that the A, B, C needs are part of this structure as wel. One TNT that you can use for yourself and encourage within teams is to revive a dormant connection. Who is someone you had a strong connection with in the past, but the relationship has been quiet for a while? Reach out to that person and revive that connection. This article originally appeared in Next Big Idea Club magazine and is reprinted with permission.
Category:
E-Commerce
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