A power outage kit for elderly parents
Older people are the ones most at risk when the power goes: falls in the dark, heat or cold in the house, and a home phone that may not work without power. Most of the answer is inexpensive and can be set up in one visit. This page is for the relative doing the setting up.
In the UK? See the UK edition.
Know this first
The phone problem
Many home phones now run through a cable or fiber modem, not a copper line, and stop when the power does unless the modem has battery backup. Ask their provider whether the line has backup. A charged cell phone is the simple answer. More in will your phone and internet work in a power cut.
Heat and cold
Older people feel temperature extremes later and suffer them sooner. In a summer outage, a battery fan and a plan to get to a cooling center matter; in winter, layers and a sleeping bag do. Never let anyone use a generator, grill or camp stove indoors: the CDC warns carbon monoxide kills people every winter.
Medical equipment
If they use oxygen, a CPAP or anything else powered, enroll them in their utility's medical program and read the medical equipment page.
Light without looking for it
Set these up on the visit; they need nothing doing when the power goes.
Plug-in power failure lights
They sit in an outlet as a night light, stay charged, and switch on by themselves the moment the power goes out.
Look for: A removable battery that doubles as a flashlight, so you can carry one to the breaker panel.
Battery motion-sensor lights
Stick-on lights on the stairs and landing come on when someone walks past, so nobody climbs stairs in the dark, which is when older people fall.
Look for: Rechargeable or AA batteries, and a warm white setting that is not too bright at night.
A phone that still works
The modem is the weak point.
Simple mobile phone
A basic mobile with a week of standby is the backup when the home phone dies with the router. Easy to use, and it stays charged far longer than a smartphone.
Look for: Large buttons, a loud ringer, a long stated standby time, and an emergency button if it will be used by someone who lives alone.
Mini UPS for the router
If your home phone or internet runs through the router, it stops when the power does. A small battery box keeps the router, and any phone plugged into it, working through a short outage.
Look for: DC outputs that match the voltage printed on your router's power adapter (usually 12 V), enough of them for the modem too, and a capacity in watt-hours.
Warmth and cooling
Keep the person comfortable, not the whole house.
Thermal base layers
Warm layers next to the skin keep a person warm in a cold house for far less than any heater, and cost nothing to run.
Look for: Long sleeves and long legs, sized loose enough to wear under ordinary clothes.
Cold-weather sleeping bags
A sleeping bag rated below the night-time temperature keeps a person warm with no power at all.
Look for: A temperature rating, not just "warm"; one per person.
Rechargeable fan
After a hurricane the power can stay off for days in heat and humidity. A battery fan by the bed is what makes the nights bearable, and it runs for hours from a power bank.
Look for: USB-C charging, a stated runtime on low, and a clip or stand so it can sit close to you.
News and safety
Alerts, and a working detector.
NOAA weather radio
Broadcasts National Weather Service alerts directly, with no cell signal or phone battery needed.
Look for: The NOAA weather band with alert function; a hand crank or solar panel is a bonus, not a substitute for batteries.
What a power station keeps running
The kit above keeps people comfortable. A portable power station keeps things running. This is what a 1,056 Wh Anker SOLIX C1000 manages for each load on its own, from full.
| Load | Alone, from full |
|---|---|
| Wi-Fi router | 36 h 33 min |
| Electric blanket | 23 h 59 min |
| Phone charging | 2 days 13 h |
| Box fan | 8 h 55 min |
| TV, 32 inch LED | 13 h 42 min |
A power station is worth considering for someone who uses an electric blanket or oxygen, and is far safer than a generator for an older person: no fuel, no exhaust, and a display that shows the charge left. Compare stations in the buying guide.
Checklist to print
- Power failure lights in the hallway, bedroom and bathroom
- Motion lights on the stairs
- Enrolled in the utility's medical program, if they use equipment
- Phone provider asked about battery backup for the home phone
- A simple cell phone, charged, with your number on speed dial
- NOAA weather radio with fresh batteries
- Layers, a sleeping bag and a battery fan
- Carbon monoxide detector on every level, tested
- The utility outage number and your number written by the phone
On your next visit
- Plug in the power failure lights and stick up the motion lights, and show them the lights come on by themselves.
- Find the local cooling and warming centers, and agree who will drive them there.
- Call their phone provider about battery backup for the home phone.
- Write the utility outage number and your number on a card by the phone.
- Agree who calls whom when the power goes.
Sources
Amazon links on this page are affiliate links; the site may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. They are searches for a type of product, not endorsements of a particular model, and nothing here has been tested hands-on. Prices and stock change constantly.
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