This week we are celebrating Preparedness Week. It is an annual information initiative to raise awareness of crisis preparedness among private individuals. Preparedness Week is part of the work to strengthen Sweden's crisis preparedness and total defense. It's a week to stop, think and plan for different emergencies.
The word crisis evokes different associations depending on who you are. According to MSB, a crisis is a peacetime event that threatens basic functions and values, such as electricity supply, and affects a large number of people. There are also personal crises, which we all face in life when difficult events happen to us. For example, when someone we love passes away.
There are both big and small crises in assistance. For the individual with assistance, a cold wave can wreak havoc and put an entire team of assistants out of action, creating a crisis. The most important thing is that the assistance user, the assistance provider and the assistant are a team - able to deal with the crises that arise.
The theme of this year's preparedness week is 'Exercise'. Practicing is something we all need to do in case of a crisis. It can involve thinking through different scenarios to make sure we have everything at home to deal with them. For example: what do you do if the electricity goes out?
One preparation we have done in our business is that area managers, quality developers and assistants have had to attend a workshop in crisis organized by IFA (interest group for those entitled to assistance).
