After a disaster, people with disabilities need special assistance during their stay in emergency shelters. These resources provide guidance for care during emergency situations.
Emergency Preparedness Hotlines
If you are an individual receiving OCDD services, an advocate or a provider needing additional assistance for emergency preparations, please contact the Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities toll-free at 1.866.783.5553.
Relocation assistance of loved ones in the waiver services programs or in any public facility can be accessed by calling toll free 1.866.783.5553.
If you are a person with developmental disabilities, are an advocate, or a provider needing additional assistance in evacuation and emergency preparedness, contact the OCDD office toll free at 1.866.783.5553.
If you need information about shelters, please call 211.
If you have special medical needs and think you might need to access a Special Medical Needs Shelter during a hurricane or other emergency situation, please contact your regional office. The staff there will help you determine whether or not you need to use a Special Medical Needs Shelter, and they will let you know what other options are available.
Volunteer to Help People with Disabilities in Emergency Shelters
People with disabilities and the elderly need your help during their stay in emergency shelters. You can help in many ways. You can read to someone who is blind, help orient someone to the shelter’s layout, assist with dressing, eating, getting in and out of cots, getting to the restroom and other things that make sheltering much easier for an elder or a person with a disability. With your help, an already difficult experience can be a little less stressful. To volunteer, go to www.lava.dhh.louisiana.gov.
