Medium severity injury-shtf timeframe

[longbow]

My 87 year old mother in law fell and broke her humorous up by the ball socket. The treatment is keeping her arm in a sling for 6 to 8 weeks. We are three days into caring for her and it is taking a tremendous amount of time and resources to care for her.

Now imagine this is one of your members in a small group (4 to 6 people) and before this injury you were being pushed to the limits with daily tasks. One is basically out of the picture for several weeks and 2 additional people are needed to help her go to the bathroom and get her dressed and cleaned up for several more hours a day.

We have power and water, medical supplies and a working washer and dryer. Now take those items away and you have to improvise. How much more will you be tasked as a group to handle the workload and additional tasks from just a broken arm?

This would destory your group in short order from fatigue and using up supplies. Also, what are your plans if members of your group are elderly and need additional supplies for incontenence and help moving around? On average, we have about two months of medicine and supplies on hand for daily needs, but what happens at three months? Are you prepared for dealing with all those things that will start to happen when they don't have medicine and other important supplies?

 

[halfmileharry]

It's going to depend on the SHTF situation. Age has nothing to do with this at this point. The absolute necessities will be addressed first. Showers and hygiene are a convenience and not a necessity.
Food and hydration, medical attention will take precedence.

 

[longbow]

It's going to depend on the SHTF situation. Age has nothing to do with this at this point. The absolute necessities will be addressed first. Showers and hygiene are a convenience and not a necessity.
Food and hydration, medical attention will take precedence.

true....but now add one or two of your group getting diarrhea and the sanitation issues and hygiene issues you must deal with......

 

[rosejm]

The sad truth is that in a SHTF situation, the average life-span is going to drop dramatically. I know this is hard to hear, but at 87 a person is already pushing on the current age of mortality.

I'm glad you brought this kind of dilemma out in the open, as it might force folks to consider the reality before it's too late. Pre-disaster sentimentality could doom an entire group of survivors if the hard choices aren't thought through before it's too late to make a difference.

 

[halfmileharry]

true....but now add one or two of your group getting diarrhea and the sanitation issues and hygiene issues you must deal with......

Under immediate life threatening situations hygiene and sanitation still take a back seat. Survival and defense still take precedence. BUT the situation always controls the reaction.

 

[indyjohn]

We started discussing how to address trauma last fall after attending a train the trainer session for LEO use of an IFAK (they call it a trauma kit).

This is a significant challenge. Being humans, we want to hold onto fellow humans far longer than it is beneficial to a group (opposite of Spock's mantra - the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the... one). Many times Hollywood has chronicled this but in reality the group leadership has to make a decision that is in the best interest of the group.

So, there it is. SHTF reality.

 

[Leadeye]

Being elderly already I'm focusing on making things easy to get by and staying out of sight.

 

[philo]

Bad hygiene and bad sanitation ARE immediate life threatening situations. Don't discount them.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...ne.pdf&usg=AFQjCNHureoIKunOcBaXKLl2Ym6FJouxuA

 

[rhino]

Bad hygiene and bad sanitation ARE immediate life threatening situations. Don't discount them.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...ne.pdf&usg=AFQjCNHureoIKunOcBaXKLl2Ym6FJouxuA

Absolutely correct. Some basic level of hygiene is necessary regardless of the circumstance. If you die from an easily preventable illness, you lose just like if you died in a more dramatic manner.

 

[17 squirrel]

Being elderly already I'm focusing on making things easy to get by and staying out of sight.

Your best friend is a scatter gun Pops..

 

[tc556guy]

Another example of why small groups in the single digits may be less successful in the long term

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

Just in the past three years arthritis has gone from zero to sixty and climbing in my knees. I'm good for about three months. After that, who knows. And that's just stiff knees. I can't imagine having heart disease, diabetes, or the like in a shtf scenario.