Don’t prep for doomsday. Just a few common things should put you more at ease. I’d recommend a ~1000Wh battery bank. It’ll help you through electrical outages, recharge your cell phone, power for lights, LED lantern, a few hours of internet modem power, etc. Try to stock 5-10 gallons of water and buy a few dozen canned foods when they’re on sale. An extra roll of trash bags. A light duty first aid kit. A pair of walkie talkies / whistle and most importantly make friends with neighbors. If your apartment has good views, a pair of binoculars would make you invaluable as neighborhood watch.

I have different challenges than you, but I’m also disabled. One of the things I’ve done is consistently refill my medication as soon as it’s eligible. After doing that for a while I’m now a couple of weeks ahead and have a cushion in case I can’t refill as usual. I simply can’t survive long-term without my medication, but I’m not preparing for a situation where my meds are never available again; I’m preparing for things like weather that keeps me from being able to go to the pharmacy, a city-wide power outage that keeps the pharmacy from opening, even something like the beginning of the COVID pandemic when we didn’t know how risky it was to be out in public. I can keep myself alive and healthy for a couple of weeks until I can figure out something else, and 99% of the time that’s the situation you’re going to encounter.

You would want to be realistic about the type of events that are feasible to prep for given your situation, and focus on prepping for the ones that more likely to happen and are also feasible. Your situation may preclude prepping for a 6 month collapse of services, but what about a week or two? a few days to 2 weeks of power outage is much, much more likely than the power not being restored for 6 months...

Then, you also should look at prepping for things that may be a bigger issue for you than other people. A cell phone can go down if the cell tower is without power long enough, but getting power restored to cell towers is a priority, and it may be more available than your land line/wifi. If you can't realistically leave your apartment to seek help, having backup ways to call for it make a lot of sense.

The other thing to consider: What can you do to help prepare for a disruption in the Home Health Care Aide service. Staffing, or local disaster, doesn't really matter how it happens, but what can you do to be ready to ride out any disruption.

I can't conveniently shop, take out garbage, check mail

Having some non-perishable food stored in case you can't get anything from the shop for awhile would be a good step. Having extra garbage bags to double or triple bag garbage that you can't take out for awhile could help mitigate that issue. As for mail, hopefully there isn't anything that can't wait a week or two?

You could also try to find ways to become acquainted with other people in your building. While they likely wont be jumping in to fully replace the aide, helping you with your trash, or mail in an emergency wouldn't be that big of an ask.

I don't have energy for a long comment but I'll reassure you that a lot of us are also disabled. Lots of us who are disabled are good at prepping without being preppers because we're used to having to plan around our needs, and drawn to prepping because so much can go wrong for us. So you're in good company.

2 way radios, mesh radios, anything along those lines can be used for communication, I’d start looking into that. Also I’d look into local groups that share prepping ideals and possibly explain some of the issues.

Off the cuff - having made preparedness presentations for differently abled persons before:

- HAM Radio or at least GMRS (but you might need to give neighbors GMRS radios also) and make a plan to turn radios on to the same channel in the event of something bad happening.

- Ask neighbors if they would be willing to check on you if there's an evacuation ordered. They might not think to check during a panic. Having them acknowledge this when the sun is shining makes the probability of help when it's raining that much higher.

- Recommend getting a regular whistle, placing it in a zipper baggie to keep it clean, and storing it under the bathroom sink. Bathroom is the most dangerous room in the house. You can yell for maybe 10 minutes, you can whistle as long as you can breathe. If you have a rollator, wheelchair, or other mobility aid, consider attaching a whistle there as well.

- Consider keeping space blanket under bathroom sink as well. In fact - consider what it would take to make the bathroom reasonably sealed off as per FEMA "shelter in place" requirements. If you can't physically tape plastic sheeting to seal the room, you might be stuck with the gas mask option. Sadly, it's very hard to breathe through a gas mask for long and it's critically important that the filters are rated against whatever you are exposed to.

- This goes back to an Eagle Scout project I helped with - prepare a jacket (or a hi-viz vest over a jacket) with pockets to include a couple days supply of medicines AND a print out of all of your Rx. A print out of your next of kin and medical providers. Phone numbers for anybody you may need to contact. A flashlight, knife and (again) whistle. Nail clippers / emery board. Tooth brush. Toilet paper & tissues. Bonus points if you put your name on the vest. Mark the back with a large "X" - this is somewhat standard indication of a person with disability and especially someone with hearing impairment. It's indelicate, but displaying the impairment may help greatly in getting the aid you need quickly and without additional explanation. (ie: if there's the word "DEAF" across the back of the vest, nobody is going to yell directions at you and then leave you to fate for not listening. Well, probably nobody.) For the project we assumed everyone in the senior apartments would be ushered to a bus for a ride to wherever the evac is headed. Brainstormed - ok, now you are safe in a gymnasium with a cot and maybe a blanket. What do you wish you had? The jacket / vest thing was the easy to grab, easy to tell someone else to grab, not getting lost in the shuffle means of keeping some important items with you. If you have a backpack and they stuff all the luggage in the trunk, you may or may not get your backpack (and it may or may not be wet or contaminated.) If at all possible include a cell phone and a phone charger. You can possibly fit a pair of semi-warm work gloves and some warm socks along with the coat/vest as it hangs in the closet. Hand warmers may be useful too. I didn't recommend a full first aid kit, but some band-aids and tweezers made sense. Whatever it is, consider wearing it in the rain. The point isn't that you should do exactly this, just please take the idea of an "all you get" jacket/vest as a means to ensure you have the very basics readily available if you have to evacuate.

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Food water and shelter are most important in my opinion. Especially if you cant leave.

Extra food and water. First aid kit. Medication including Tylenol. Battery powered radio and flashlight with extra batteries. If you live somewhere cold be sure you have enough blankets to survive without heat.

Less important but still worth it. Books. Candles and lighters. Powerbank for your phone. Think about what you will do if the toilet stops working. Can be as simple as a bucket and extra trash bags.

Im not trying to be mean but having a handgun for self defense in a worst case scenario situation doesn't make you violent.

I've got some mobility issues myself and will have to have some new parts out in at some point, so it's something that my wife and I have talked about.

There's already a lot of good advice here, especially getting spare meds, a first aid kit, food/water, backup power and comms. I would also suggest reaching out to a friend or neighbor so you have alternate assistance if your home care can't make for a few days. Also see if your town has services for folks with disabilities for transportation should you need to evacuate.

Additionally, Ready.gov has info here: https://www.ready.gov/people-disabilities

Water, food, shelter.

I would buy boxes of protein bars, i think one has 20? bars. So you could live months with those and they dont take that much room.

water is something you need to figure out, maybe carryable water purifier.

Shelter you have, but getting cold is problem. So maybe blankets. 10 blankets and you can "build" emergency shelter inside your home that stays warm. Thats how they do it in siberia.

Other than that i think you might need handheld CB-radio and some local contact that you can contact outside phonelines, i think its range is not much, so neighbour or so.

https://preview.redd.it/50cuxh65g3cg1.png?width=315&format=png&auto=webp&s=a5fe46b285fa342aaa846b3c543a490a5e979592

You listed two different scenarios here. Your flair tag says "Prepping for Doomsday," but your post is more focused on temporary non-SHTF situations. That's okay; I just wanted to point that out to you.

To answer the post you actually made, the first three necessities of survival in any situation, no matter how temporary, are water, food, and shelter, not necessarily in that order. To the extent that your limited storage space will allow you, stock water, non-perishable foods, and a method of heating your apartment without power. Make sure those preps are stored in such a way that you can access them without assistance. You can minimize your need for storing water by using a rotation system. Collect "gray" water that from cleaning or bathing and use it for non-drinking purposes, such as filling toilet tanks so you can flush them.

Now, as for a more extended doomsday situation, I'm going to be honest with you; your chances of long-term survival are not good. You can ration your stored food. You can collect urine and distill it so it's drinkable again. But without weapons and without the ability to move around to scavenge for supplies, your options are extremely limited. The only suggestion I can think of for doomsday survival is to partner up with neighbors or family that can come get you and take you somewhere safer. However, unless you have a skill that would make you valuable to the community, it would not be in their best interests to bring you in. If you consume limited resources without being able to contribute back, you make that community weaker, not stronger.

I know that sounds cold and harsh, but it is, unfortunately, the truth of long-term survival in a SHTF scenario. Have you tried looking for books specifically targeted on survival for people in your situation?

Don’t let the podcast prepper bros scare you. You can always start with basics. Do you have a little cash on hand in case you lose your debit card or the power is out and atms aren’t working? Do you have a working flashlight and batteries? Do you have a lighter and candles if the power goes out? If you take medication regularly, can you ask your doctor for an extra emergency supply in case the pharmacy is closed so you don’t run out? Do you have a portable power bank so you can charge your phone if the power is out? Next grocery order, can you get some extra canned soups and a couple gallons of drinking water?

Lady, you are an inspiration. That’s a fact.

I agree with the previous suggestions, and add the following, keeping in mind your small living space:

1) extra bars of soap. Bars take less room than liquids.

2) laundry powder and a 20 litre bucket.

3) bleach, isopropyl alcohol and a good supply of first aid supplies.

4) at least 2 large, compressible carboys to store water if necessary.

5) warm winter clothing, needles, thread and good scissors.

6) a wind-up radio and power bank. A few extra batteries would be good, too.

7) dry foods like rice, beans, lentils, dried veggies as well as powdered milk, and powdered cheese if you can get it. Make sure you store all this in rodent and bug proof containers. Don’t forget salt!

8) extra medications!

9) cash rules, so have enough on hand to get you out of trouble.

10) books, games, hand lotion, candy, liquor, etc can all be used as currency.

11) wet wipes. If water supply is a concern, having a bird bath with a couple of wet wipes will make you feel better than 99% of your neighbours.

I’m sure there’s more, but this might help as a start. If shit happens, having goods and providing services might be your salvation. Child care, clothing repair, first aid services, tutorial services, and even simple good advice will make you invaluable to your neighbours.

Thanks for posting this intriguing question, OP.

Taking into account the difficulties of getting meds due to various emergencies, this forward-thinking approach is really wise.

I want to give you the Norwegian official resource on this. Basically, we are asked to keep what we need for 1 week at home if possible, network with neighbors and friends, and for us with medical conditions, we should also have written down diagnosis, meds, and the most important information about your condition (eg. diabetics may write down to give them sugar if they are blacked out, mobility aids needed if you cannot move well without). Keep spare batteries for your assistive measures, like batteries for hearing aid if you use that.

Powerbanks are small and underrated imo. You can also look into hand warmers that can be reused - mine can be boiled and reused at least 50 times. You want some food you dont have to cook, but being able to boil water and heat your place once a day will be great. Start with the essentials, such as water and heat, and top up gradually. Given your limited space, can any of the needs be met through an emergency friend, or can common resources be stored in common areas? Remember that it is smart to share resources such as cooking equipment, food and DAB radio.

Yikes, no self defense plan. Because of your disability you have a higher chance of being targeted due to your vulnerability all the time, not just during an emergency situation. If someone tried to harm you or your loved ones, you wouldnt make any effort to save them or yourself? I digress...

Store at least a weeks worth of water, store food that doesnt require heat to cook it before you can eat it (canned food, rice, etc). Freeze dried food can be eaten raw (skip raw freeze dried meet thought) or you can add water to rehydrate the food bit this will take longer without using boiling water.

HAM radio for communication and a small/medium power bank to use small electronics.

You can also start a wibdow herb garden with green onions, cilantro, basil, etc. You cant survive on it but it will help flavor bland foods to make them more appetizing and you can use the herbs all the time.

Think about how you would get out of the building in various emergencies. Can you get to the roof if there is a flood? If the roof is locked, see if your apartment manager could give you a key in case of emergencies if this is a likely scenario. How can you navigate the stairs, can you sit and slide down on your butt or work your way up backwards? Practice it. Talk to neighbors especially if you have some very fit ones that could potentially carry you out if there is an emergency and it comes down to that. Make sure they know you are there. In my state flooding is a big issue and people get trapped, it's horrible. But also be careful about the intentions of people, make sure they are good people obviously before you make it known you need this type of help.

You don't want a weapon, but what about nonlethal options like pepper spray, alarms, or tasers? There are also a lot of devices you can get to make your doors much more solid and secure. You can also get pepper ball guns, things like that. Cameras for your house.

Befriending your neighbors is the best thing you can do, both for emergencies and for just normal living. As an able bodied person, I check on the elderly people next door as a matter of course when there is something like a power outage.

You've gotten a lot of great suggestions already. But do you have a go bag? I want to assume you do in case of sudden trips to the hospital, but you didn't indicate the nature of your disability or how long you've had it, so I'm just throwing that out there if you don't have one. It's very easy to keep a separate small bag of things you wouldn't need at the hospital but would need in an evacuation, and just add it to the hospital bag. Always keep an itemized checklist of things to do before you leave and things you can't pack until the last minute. When you're stressed out or someone else is helping you, that list is critical.

I would consider these things for shelter in place:

• Headlamp.
• Glow sticks, white ones since they're the brightest. You didn't state the nature of your disability, but the last thing you want is to knock over a lit candle, and some disabilities will make you more likely to do that.
• Something like this to stick on the fridge. It will light up when you go get a late night snack.
• Rechargeable LED light bulbs. You use them like regular ones, but they'll stay on when the power goes out.
• A lantern, whether LED, battery, or combo.
• LifeStraw in case you're under a boil water notice but can't boil water because power is out.
• Weather radio.
• If you're more likely to have a power outage in cold weather, add ThermaCare patches to your prep list. They're at drug stores, many grocery stores, and online. There are toe warmers that act on a similar principle that can be ordered online. Stick them in your slippers.
• If you're more likely to have a power outage in warm weather, you can buy fans that are battery powered, chargeable, or some combination. Also get some chemical cold packs. They're inert until you squeeze them to activate.
• If you would feel safe operating a butane stove and can supply proper ventilation, a little portable butane stove is only $30 online if you're in the US.
• Depending on your budget and cooking options, OMEALS are self-heating. I find the portions small for the price, and they're a bit sweet for my taste, but they ARE convenient and have a decent shelf life.
• If water is scarce, have baby wipes, rinse-free bath wipes and dry shampoo. Have hand-sized alcohol wipes for when you need to sanitize your hands but they're not actually grubby. Use paper plates and plastic utensils, too. Save water for drinking.

Also consider a power station. They've gone up in price and they're quite heavy, so if you can afford one, you may need to coordinate delivery with when someone can help you get it into your apartment, unbox it, and place it somewhere. But used sparingly for short-term situations, they're great!

I don’t have a gun either.

Some great responses here.

When it comes to storage space, you could still use areas that are out of reach, in an emergency.

Shelves up high that are not screwed down to the brackets could store cans and other dry goods. In an emergency, a broom could be used to carefully knock the stuff off for use. You'd obviously need to be careful loading an unsecured shelf.

I think the most difficult part of this is to rotate stock properly, perhaps your aide or neighbor could help you do that on occasion.

Check out 2X preppers, this sort of thing comes up more frequently there.

You lost me at guns = violence.

Use an old school Phone and Land Line that plugs into the wall. Those draw power from the grid not your regular outlets.

Well, you can stockpile food and some water to tide you by in some short term emergencies. Consider minimizing the amount of garbage produced and the amount of physical effort to prepare and cook it. For one example, bulk bins of rice and beans may be more appropriate than canned alternatives on the basis of needing to open and dispose of the cans alone.

Consider a satellite capable phone, or starlink or Garmin inreach-mini if you can get to a location that has good view of the sky to use it. Asking for help will be core plan since you have such severe physical limitations.

Battery backup devices, such as a ecoflow, Jackery, Blueetti or Anker could supplement some of your power needs.

A full home battery backup would be an option if money isn’t a limiting factor.

A mobility option like an adaptive vehicle to get you out of town in an emergency might be helpful.

For every person, no matter how healthy or strong, there are disasters for which no preparation would be adequate. Your situation unfortunately sets the bar less favorably for that threshold. Prepare for what you can, and accept what you can’t change.

In my opinion your location is the biggest risk. In cities, infrastructure failures can escalate way faster especially if its a city with a significant poverty and/or crime issue as is. Due to that, getting a secondary location would be good. This doesn't mean buying an entire farm 200 miles from any major city - you can build community with people. There might be smaller communities around your city that are just enjoyable (and accessible enough) for you to visit in general, you can connect to the people there and establish a connection to someone who might be able to help you out if push comes to shove, provide you with a place if things get scary.

I really think your primary focus here would most likely be building strong social connections to have someone to rely on, as communities are way more resilient than atomized uncoordinated individuals.

Need more info

I'm a female pepper disabled prepper living in an old RV.

It is basically skills plus limited tools.

Water can simple be water bottles.

Good could simply be peanut butter or cans of soup.

Heat- if you only have electric heat consider getting a wool blanket, a propane heater. A small tank top heater will run 3-5 days on a common 20lb BBQ style tank.

If the water goes out you either have to use what you have for a toilet, which can get ugly or use a 5 gallon bucket. You can use a 5 gallon composting toilet for 4-5 days easily. But it can get heavy. I much prefer changing out the bags at day 3. If you use heavy duty bags, they are safe to handle when tied off.

I agree..dont prepare for the worst..prepare for the most likely. Some 5 gallon jugs of water in a closet or behind sofa would give you peace of mind. Also a rechargeable lithium battery ($400 to $600$) that can be recharged by solar or AC. I just received Humanitarian Daily Meals which is a packet for entire days caloric needs (2500 cal) which is more than MREs which is ONLY ONE meal. I paid a little over $3 each and they come 10 to a box. A couple boxes will be alot cheaper than MREs and meet your needs for a day. I purchased 30 for slightly less than $100. Get a couple of battery powered lights or candles. Consider a 5 gal plastic pail from Lowes along with a camping potty seat. I order camping potty bags from Temu fir $4 for 40. Assuming you have blankets so you could handle a month or so. Get a emergency radio for $15 from Temu. You will need a door security bar for $25 from Lowes or Amazon that wedges under door handle to keep someone from busting the door. Store this stuff behind sofas, in closets, and certain things under beds. Have some books and word games to occupy your time. For less than $1000 you have peace of mind for a month. Good luck.

A full cabinet of canned goods you eat regularly goes a long way. Having a good amount of water on hand in bottles or jugs. Some battery banks and you’ll be set for alot of emergencies

May I DM you with a recommendation? (Also female here, partially disabled)

Before I say anything else, I want to address your concerns about “going it alone”. That’s the most misunderstood part of prepping, and it’s something you especially need to understand. Good prepping means building community.

Get involved with local disability advocacy orgs. Get to know your neighbors. Build a support network in case of disaster. Reach out to your local fire department or emergency management agency: they often have programs where disabled people can register themselves so that responders are aware of them during disasters, and so that they can be prioritized for evacuation.

This Red Cross publication has some great considerations: https://www.redcross.org/content/dam/redcross/atg/PDF_s/Preparedness___Disaster_Recovery/General_Preparedness___Recovery/Home/A4497.pdf?srsltid=AfmBOopwW7TOPGqJ_lgraNzs8V5elObtjDTODNxGnWpID6_Tyk2dMBQT

Having more details about the nature of your disability/mobility issues would be helpful, but I also understand if you’re hesitant to provide that on the internet. A few random thoughts off the top of my head:

• If you rely on something like a powered wheelchair to get around, look into options that have external battery packs that you can keep a spare for, or look into a power bank to charge them from. I’ve seen these mobility scooters used as backups by people who use power wheelchairs, and they seem pretty handy. Foldable, detachable batteries., pretty compact and easy to get through tight spaces:

https://www.paiseec.com/products/paiseec-mobility-scooter-s1

• Likewise, if it’s practical for you, a manual wheelchair would be a great thing to keep handy. Cut out the need for electricity altogether

• If you’re reliant on any medical devices, get familiar with basic troubleshooting and repairs if you aren’t already. Keep a small stock of commonly used spare parts handy.

• Keep your space organized and clear. Make sure your path out of your house is easily navigable, and well lit.

• Do you live on the first floor of your apartment? If not, I would strongly consider getting a first floor apartment if possible. If the power is out and you don’t have access to an elevator, you may be stranded.

• Make keeping yourself and your space clean a priority. If it comes down to it, throw waste out your window. You are at a high risk of developing a serious infection simply by virtue of being disabled, and you need to be proactive against that. Castile soap is a space efficient, multi application prep to keep handy. You can use it for everything from scrubbing dishes to brushing teeth.

Just food, water, ham radio, etc.

I do recommend a nice Glock just to be safe, non violent or not

Start with a 72 hour kit and go from there

You should priorize a small portable power station to keep your phone and medical devicces charged. Having a reliable way to call for help is your best survival tool when living alone in a city.

Get to know and build relationships with your neighbors. We just had a situation where our phone lines, internet and 911 went out. Our neighbor was having health concerns and so we were able to figure out a system (and a better one in the future), if we needed to go into his apartment and get him to the clinic.

Some cell phones have capability to use satellite messaging now. That might be something to look into in addition to mesh or other radios. Con: does not work well inside (if at all). But that is something else that worked for us when the systems went down. It provided limited communications and also relief that we could still contact people.

Mobility issues can mean several things so my first question is are you able to get out of your residence by yourself in case of an emergency such as a structural fire? Do you have and are you able to use a fire extinguisher? I like to plan on what are statistically the most likely emergency situations and start from there. I have seen all of the standard good advice posted in the comments and agreed with them. Minimum 2 weeks provisions/water and meds, backup sanitation kit ,backup power supply, redundant means of communication and such. Peaceful and non violent don't necessarily have to mean weakness, there' are security measures that can be useful such as a peep hole in the door, security camera, a recording of angry dogs barking that could be played on high volume and pepper spray.

https://www.ready.gov/people-disabilities

Do you have family nearby?

You could start with a lightweight emergency kit focused on portable daily necessities, and also build simple mutual aid ties with the community

Water bottle, Ramen noodles lmao battery just like icing storm in canada. Paper for toilet..... im no prepper though. I'll just go fight and be eliminated first. Living the dream my friends.

I bought a 4 pack of rechargable bulbs. I have two charged in a cabinet and two stay in a lamp that's always on and a light fixture that's always on. They switch to battery (built in) when the power goes off, so those two are always on. I have flashlights but those are so nice, I don't have to fumble around in the dark.

Just take it one thing at a time and start with your biggest concerns/risks. If you search this sub you'll find a lot of comments by people who either have disabilities or are prepping for family members who do. There is actually a lot one can do in an apartment to be more prepared for power outages or the need to stay in for a while (virus, social unrest, whatever). If you're biggest concerns are power outage and communications, you can start with that. For a power outage you can do things like get battery operated lights, ways to cook and stay warm/cool in a power outage, portable back-up power (like the kind used for camping). For communications and/or news in a power outage you could look into satellite and/or emergency radios.

You mentioned guns in a context that suggests you may be concerned about safety but not know how to increase your personal safety without them. Can you get a guard dog? Even if your apartment doesn't usually allow, you usually can if you can get a doctor's verification that you need a service or companion animal. Besides that I would suggest you increase your home security, making it very difficult for someone to break in.

Then there are the basic preps of food, water, first aid, an evac kit. You may not have much room for storage, but most all homes have enough room to store an extra month of food, or about 60,000 kcal.

In your case, stay in a pack. AKA bevriend the neighbours etc. We are a mobile family of 4, so no problems here. But If I were you, I would carefully reach out to some people you might trust and talk to them. But that too can be a risk. Decisions, decisions.

Do you have a plan for heat? Not sure if you live in an area that gets cold, but having a small indoor rated propane heater and a sleeping bag may be great shelter in place investments as well.

Love these ideas... you also need to make sure YOU can access all of the material. it does no good if your 50Lb battery generator is on the top shelf of your pantry, you may not see your helper for a while so you need to be able to access needed supplies yourself.

multiple means of contacting someone is important. (yes some of these will be the first means of contact that will go out.) radio, cell, internet, even a signal flag on a tall pole can be handy (A flag that says SOS in red and white perhaps) Although you would need to be careful when you fly it, as it may attract the wrong type of attention. make advance plans for someone to move mountains to rescue you if it comes to that. you should also have plans if you are out of contact for a set amount of time.... maybe if they don't hear from you in 3-5 days they will do a health check.

You might push yourself to see how much you can actually do (with proper clearance from your doctor of course) How far can you actually walk with your walker or in your wheelchair, can you rig up a way to move larger items or gather supplies if you need to. with the advise of your doctor devise a workout regime to improve your mobility (if that is an option)

Interesting rabbit hole. there are emergency laser and led signaling devices that can be pointed either at rescuers or even just general directions.(about $200 some can actually trace messages ($2000 or more) but there are also pure signaling devices that have a 1-3 mile detection range during the day, longer at night. they flash an sos and rescuers supposedly have training to identify and track them down. not realy for use if you need to be stealthy, but for pur rescue notification they can be an option.

Talk to everyone of your neighbors. Make sure that they all are aware of your existence and that you need help. Have your home health care aid help you introduce yourself to your neighbors because you feel lonely. 

Please do not be afraid to ask for help from any friendly neighbors. I would gladly take down your trash for you 

Baby wipes help to keep your hygiene good without using lots of water.

Not everyone can live through the end of the world. And most people who "can" would die anyway. It doesn't sound like you'd live through things breaking down "permanently" so you don't need to prepare for that. Prepare for shorter term emergencies where you don't have the help you ordinarily need and if you want to do more, try to help build a society that won't have a "permanent" or long-term break down.

Build your community. Make friends with neighbors, join a church, support group, social action group. All these can be done online. You have unique and valuable skills and talents.

make sure to check out r/twoxpreppers too, it's very active :)

Your nonviolence, while commendable, will be neither shared nor respected by those around you in actual SHTF scenarios. Bear this in mind.