Be Prepared.

Those of you who’ve followed me for a while on LinkedIn know I fervently believe #AgingIsLiving.

In fact, I have an entire website devoted to it.

Over the ten days, as I’ve been caring for an older loved one going through chemo, I’ve discovered that BEING PREPARED is vital to optimizing not only our wealthspan, but also our healthspan and lifespan.

From the time I turned 50, my mailboxes have been inundated with solicitations from financial planners interested in helping me “prepare for retirement.”

In the run-up to turning 65, that shifted to solicitations from health insurance companies seeking to help me “prepare to enroll in Medicare.”

And lately, I’ve begun receiving solicitations related to helping me “prepare to make my end-of-life arrangements.”

At the same time, my @Instagram feed has been peppered with information about how to prepare to remain physically and mentally fit—oh, and “stylish”—as I grow older.

To me, making these proactive measures a part of our aging process is important to better ensuring an optimal older age.

But if, as I believe, #AgingIsLiving, “living” inherently comes with challenges, obstacles, and crises that can arise as we get older. Sometimes to us. Sometimes to those around us.

Over the past several weeks, I have been called on to intervene in situations that could not have been anticipated: a neighbor whose leg was punctured by her dog’s toenail, a family member who fainted, and a friend recovering from a medical procedure, to name just a few.

These incidences got me to thinking about the importance of being prepared when the unexpected happens.

I am not a doctor (nor have I ever played one on TV)—so making any recommendations would be completely inappropriate. However, I thought it might be helpful to at least pose some questions we may need to begin asking ourselves in case we’re faced with one or more of the following situations:

 What should you do if someone you’re with feels woozy and suddenly passes out?

What should you do if someone on blood thinners cuts themselves and you can’t stop the bleeding?

Do you know the signs of a stroke? A heart attack? Heat exhaustion/heat stroke? Dehydration?

What should you do if someone burns themselves? Or falls and hits their head?

Do you have a first aid kit—or, at least, the components of a first aid kit—and do you know where it is, if and when you need it?

Do you know CPR?

Do you know the proper way to call 911 (yes, there is a proper way)?

If you’re dealing with a life-changing illness, do you have someone who can go with you to doctor’s appointments and serve as your “second set of ears”?

Should you need care on an extended basis, do you know who you can call on to provide that type of support?

Do you know how to advocate for yourself? If not, do you have someone who can advocate for you?

These are just a few of the questions that have come to my mind based on situations I’ve encountered lately—I’m sure there are others. I hope you’ve found them helpful. Please feel free to add to this list in the comments.

In the meantime, never underestimate the power of preparation. Because as NBA World Champion and Hall-of-Famer David Robinson once said, “Preparation is everything.”