Hurricane season is just around the corner in Maui County which means it is a good time to assess your own preparedness and then take action. In the next few months articles in this column will highlight local organizations and resources that support county residents of all ages to become better prepared for hurricanes and other emergencies.

This month’s focus is organizing critical documents needed in the event of an emergency. Consider the following steps and identify one task you will take on this week or this month.

Step 1: Identify important documents and gather them together.

The storage location of important documents may be a file or notebook in a drawer or cabinet. If some documents are in a safe deposit box, make a copy and place it with the other documents. Documents may include personal records, financial documents and information, health care records, insurance policies, and legal documents. The following four resources from local and state organizations can get you started with this step:

¯ Emergency Plans & Contacts for ‘Ohana. This one-page form fillable document from State of Hawai’i Department of Health allows individuals and families to plan ahead for emergencies and is a great first step in bringing together important documents. Once completed it can be shared with local, off-island, and mainland contacts. https://go.hawaii.edu/kiW

¯ Hawaii’s Advance Health Directives. This two-page legal document allows an individual to identify who will make health care decisions and what decisions should be made in the case of an accident or emergency. Once completed share it widely. https://go.hawaii.edu/FKb

¯ Emergency Financial Preparedness Checklist. This two-page checklist from the Hawai’i Community Federal Credit Union includes a list of personal identification, financial statements, account information, and financial contacts needed in the case of an emergency – anything from a lost or stolen wallet to a natural disaster. https://go.hawaii.edu/8KF.

¯ Replacing Important Documents. This three-page reference guide from the Hawai’i Emergency Management Agency includes contact information and basic instructions for replacing documents lost for any reason. https://go.hawaii.edu/mKF

Step 2: Select a trusted family member or friend to know where and how to access the documents if necessary.

Personal preference will guide how much access this person has to the documents. Some choose to give a copy of all documents to the trusted individual. Others prefer to maintain more privacy and opt to only share the location of the documents. If there is no one you trust, consider utilizing a financial and/or legal professional to help with this step.

Step 3: Give consent to your doctors and lawyer to speak with your caregiver if necessary.

Healthcare professionals and attorneys are required to maintain patient and client confidentiality. They cannot discuss health status or legal situation with anyone except the patient/client without written consent. This consent may be as simple as authorization form or may require a notarized document. Complete and return this document to be kept in your file.

Over the next several months the Aging Matters column will include information about agencies that offer emergency preparedness resources and services. For a sneak peak of FREE emergency preparedness workshops scheduled across the county in 2024 visit https://go.hawaii.edu/ngo.

* Heather Greenwood is with the University of Hawai’i at Manoa Cooperative Extension, Maui Intergenerational and Aging Programs. Aging Matters covers topics of interest to the aging Maui community and appears on the third Saturday of each month.